Insane Minds Think Alike
by griZzlyAngel
Summary: A bounty hunter is searching for a criminal when she comes across a certain raccoon and tree. After their initial meeting, she just can't stop running into them wherever she goes. Could it be fate? Could it be destiny? Or could it just be that insane minds think alike? Pre-movie. Featuring an OC.
1. Bizarre Duo

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. I do own Carlin, however.

* * *

Xandar was never a planet that Carlin wanted to visit. It was too industrialized, jam-packed with people and conservatives ran amok. Great if you had a family and wanted a safe, secure place to live, but not when you were a thirty year old woman who hunted criminals and fugitives for a living.

"Jesus, the way some of these people dress." Carlin muttered under her breath, standing near a statue of some historical figure.

She herself was garbed in a simple beige tunic, dark brown trousers and a burgundy vest overtop, with sleek, knee-high black boots to wrap it all up. Her dirty-blond hair was cropped and windswept. She was Terran, with fair skin and a curvaceous figure. Her pretty yet sly face observed the vicinity with trained eyes, darting from one person to the next, until they finally landed on something intriguing.

"What the hell?" she shielded the sun from her eyes with a hand, squinting.

About a hundred feet away there was a sight stranger than most she'd seen. Walking side-by-side through the hustling crowds was a raccoon and tree. In her mind that sounded ridiculous, but there was no doubting what she saw. Rubbing and blinking her eyes, Carlin could not help but stare at the odd duo making their way down the path. As they neared her, she could hear that they were holding a conversation.

"-collect our booty and call it a day, huh? What ya say, buddy?" the raccoon was saying.

"I am Groot." responded the tree-like man.

They were practically on top of her now, about to pass by, and she could not help but step out in front of them. She was an impulsive sort of gal.

"Hello, fellas."

The raccoon and tree man halted in their tracks.

"Beat it, lady, we don't want any," the raccoon barked at her, motioning her out of the way. "Besides, isn't prostitution illegal on Xandar?"

Carlin's face flushed. "I'm _not _a prostitute."

"Oh, well sorry. What are you stopping us for then?"

"I just had to admire such a bizarre sight as you two." she explained herself with a smirk, holding out her arms at them.

The raccoon scoffed. "You think _we're _bizarre? Have you taken a look around here, lady? That dude over there is wearing a freakin' _bird _on his head!"

"Yes, but I don't think it can quite compare to this," Carlin looked at the tree creature, mesmerized. "You are quite the majestic type, aren't you?"

"I am Groot." he replied, big, brown eyes shining with curiosity at her.

Carlin grinned up at him. "Nice to meet you, Groot."

"Majestic my ass," the raccoon snorted. "Look, it was nice talkin' to ya, lady, but me and Groot here has got some business to attend to. So if you'd excuse us."

"You didn't introduce yourself." she said, having way too much fun with these guys.

The raccoon gave her an abrasive look. "Get lost! I ain't telling you anything."

"I am_ Groot." _the giant tree guy seemed to scold his friend.

"Shut up, Groot! She's annoying the piss outta me."

Carlin tilted her head at the grumpy raccoon, puzzled. "He only told you his name."

"That's it! Good bye!" he spoke loudly on purpose, shoving past her.

Carlin threw him a dirty look, but turned back to Groot with a friendly face.

"I suppose you better head after him." she said.

The towering man-tree-creature-thing gave her a kind smile, then stuck out his hand to her, palm upward. Carlin watched, first in confusion, then in awe as from the middle of his gnarled palm grew the bud of a flower. It bloomed in an instant, a brilliant yellow color with a mixture of purple. He then pinched the stem of it between two fingers, plucked it easily and presented it to the astonished woman.

"For me?" she laid a hand on her chest, accepting the flower with the other. "How incredibly kind of you. Thank you, Groot! It's stunning."

"I am Groot." he said in a gentle tone, giving a nod.

And with that, he strode past her as well, taking his time in catching up with his furry friend. Carlin turned and watched them until they were out of sight, then heaved a sigh. She glanced back down at the delicate flower, twirling it between her fingers, smiling slightly. For a moment she considered placing it in her hair, but then thought better of it. Instead, she hid it away in a pocket lining the inside of her vest.

"It's sad to think that the most romantic gesture I've ever received in my life came from a tree."

Okay, so he wasn't an average tree. Whatever he was, it was a touching thing to do for a complete stranger. Shaking the two weirdos from her mind, Carlin returned to her former state of mind, scanning the crowd, keeping an eye out for her prey. Unbeknownst to her, he'd slipped by while she'd been preoccupied with the tree and raccoon.


	2. Rainbow Kickers

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

* * *

"Man, it's hot in here."

Carlin didn't look up from her drink, a clear, emerald green liquid that gave you a colorful buzz. She was not in the mood for talking or going home with anyone. All day long she'd patrolled the city, but her guy was no where to be found. It left her wearied and cranky, and all she wanted to do was get drunk and go to sleep.

"A Rainbow Kicker, huh?" the male stranger pointed out her drink. "Those are brutal."

"I know." she deadpanned, still keeping her gaze focused on the drink in her hands.

"You look down and out." he was inching closer, she could feel.

"Look," she whipped around towards him. "I'm really not in the mood okay? If you're looking for a quick fix, you may want to move on to the next girl."

The Xandarian man flinched, eyes wide. Grumbling under his breath, he got off the stool and walked away, wounded. Carlin shook her head and gulped down the rest of her Rainbow Kicker, then knocked it in on the bar top to get the bartender's attention. The purple-skinned man refilled her glass, then rushed down the line to help another patron. She sipped at it, set it down and fanned herself with her hand. It was getting warm in here, she had to admit. She peeked back over her shoulder at the large and spacious tavern. It was filled with people, laughing, chatting, bickering and holding meetings. Though it was late, she let her eyes rove over the scene, hoping to spot her man. Apparently he was Kree, so he should have been easy to find, given the fact there were not many of his species living on Xandar.

As she looked, her eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting amongst crowd, head above the rest. It was the sweet tree man from this morning, Groot. Her hand drifted absentmindedly to the part of her vest where the flower he'd given her was tucked away and a smile tugged at her lips. After a moment of staring, she saw him stand and begin weaving through the maze of tables, heading straight for the bar where she was located. Carlin hurried and turned back to her drink, hunching over it, trying her best not to be seen.

"I am Groot?"

She failed miserably.

Pretending to be surprised, she snapped her head around towards the sound of his deep voice, putting on a toothy smile.

"We meet again, Big Guy," she winked, then laughed a little. "How are you, Groot?"

Groot just smiled and took the seat that had been vacated by the Xandarian man she had rejected and replied in a happy manner.

"I am Groot."

Carlin's smile faltered. She hesitated, then said. "You've already told me your name, Sweetheart. Quite a few times in fact."

Groot's cheerful demeanor fell and he almost looked embarassed. Carlin felt terrible. She had not stopped to consider that perhaps he could not communicate well. He was very exotic after all.

"Hey! That was rude of me," she reached out to touch his arm. "I'm sorry. If you don't mind me asking, Groot, is that all you can say?"

He nodded once.

"Well, forgive me for being an ignorant bitch." she reprimanded herself, giving him a compassionate look.

"I am Groot." he patted her back gently.

Her smile returned, taking another sip from her glass. "So, where's your pal?"

Groot nodded his head in the direction of the tables.

"He sent you up here to get some drinks, huh?"

He gave a nod, rolling his brown eyes dramatically.

Carlin laughed. "Do you drink?"

Again he nodded, rather vigorously too.

"Really?" she cocked her head, a curtain of blonde bangs falling into her eyes. "You don't strike me as that kind of person. I'd have thought you would be big on water."

"I am Groot."

"Well, don't let me stop you," she motioned to the bar with her arm outstretched. "Get wasted, my friend."

Groot made a low, guttural thumping sound, that seemed to come from the depths of his wooden chest and Carlin guessed that he was chuckling. He waved down the bartender, who came hustling over, panting and sweaty.

"What can I get ya?" he looked Groot over, momentarily struck by the tree creature.

"I am Groot. I am Groot." he ordered casually.

"Nice to meet cha, now what can I get you... sir?"

"I am Groot." Groot repeated.

"Look, buddy, I ain't got all night. Make an order and I'll see to it." the bartender was getting annoyed.

Before Groot could say something more and further piss the purple man off, Carlin stepped in.

"He would like two of these." she pointed down at her glass. "You can put it on my tab."

"You got it."

As the bartender went to make up the emerald drinks, Carlin turned to Groot, who was staring at her intently.

"So he sends you up here to order, knowing that you can barely talk, and expects everything to go well?" she was miffed by this.

Groot shrugged. "I am Groot."

Carlin didn't know exactly what he meant by that, but she assumed he was making up some sort of excuse for his friend's bad decision.

"Alright, two Rainbow Kickers," the bartender came back, sliding the green drinks across the countertop to Groot. He looked at Carlin then. "That'll be ten units."

The woman rummaged in her vest's pockets for a few seconds, then pulled out the exact amount and dropped it in his palm. Groot stood and grabbed the drinks, looking over and down at Carlin with an appreciative expression.

"I am Groot!"

Carlin smiled, nodding. "You're very welcome. Maybe I'll see you again sometime?"

Groot beamed, then, just as she'd done at the start of their meeting, provided her with a playful wink. This earned him a giggle from the female bounty hunter. He then returned to his table with the drinks for his raccoon companion, leaving Carlin rather lonely with her nearly finished glass of Rainbow Kicker.


	3. Hangover

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

* * *

That night Carlin laid in bed on her ship, The Oreo, thinking about everything and nothing at once. The Oreo was a small ship, only capable of housing two people comfortably. The bed she lie in was narrow, squashed in a corner. Across from her in the opposite corner there was another bed, its mattress naked. The cramped living compartment was stuffed with all sorts of useless objects ranging from stuffed toys to old maps of The United States and Louisiana, her home state. It was her junk room and she loved it. She could have stayed at a hotel, but she was too drunk to even stand up properly. Hell, she was surprised she was able to make it back to her ship without passing out after downing those five Rainbow Kickers. Those things killed her, but she couldn't resist them. They were her weakness.

Blinking up at the metal-paneled ceiling, her vision enhanced with dazzling colors, Carlin stretched her nude body out over the sheets and green comforter. It was strange, but she simply could not sleep well with any sort of clothing covering her. She had always been like this as far as she could remember, even being a child. Weird, but true. She twisted her head to the right on her pillow to look over at the bedside table. On top of it in a plastic container filled with water sat the purple and yellow flower Groot had given her. The effects of the strong drink she'd had seemed to make it glow. A smile formed on her lips.

"I am Groot," she repeated his phrase softly to herself. "What a funny guy."

She wondered then the name of his friend, the raccoon, whom had refused to tell her. He was so different from Groot, she couldn't see how they would get along. Then again, she'd only met the guy once, Groot twice. She knew nothing about them. She wish she did; they were absolutely fascinating to her. It was rare these days to be genuinely fascinated by something. She liked being fascinated, it made her feel young. Not that she was real old by any means. Just...

_Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!_

Carlin awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed, fully-bared chest heaving as she worked to catch her breath. She looked around wildly for the source of the annoying sound, hands on her head, fingers tangled in her short, messy do. Her eyes landed on her communicator that lay on the floor a few feet away from the bed. Groaning, she slipped out of bed, padded over and swept it up from the floor. She nearly touched the holographic button on the side of it, forgetting momentarily that she was naked, and quickly pressed the speaker one instead.

"Hello?" she croaked into the mouth piece.

_"Carlin Hardy, where the hell are you?"_ an angry male voice came over the line.

"On Xandar where you sent me."

_"Why didn't you give an update yet? It's been over twenty-four hours!"_

Carlin jerked, putting a hand to her forehead. She could already feel the beginning of a monstrous hangover coming on.

"I-I've been busy." she managed to say.

_"Busy? Too busy to give a quick update before you go to sleep? You do know you are to be back here by the week's end and if you have not gotten my prisoner captured, I'll see that someone more qualified does. You will get no compensation."_

"I understand. And don't worry, Darnek, you'll have that crook _before _this week's end. Mark my words."

There was a critical pause. "_I better. He's dangerous. He knows too much. I can't afford the Nova Corps finding out about his escape from my facility."_

Carlin snorted. "You will."

_"Don't forget to update me tomorrow. Good night."_

There was a _beep! _and Carlin knew he had ended the call. She let out a tired sigh and set the communicator down on the table by the flower. She then flung herself back into bed, falling to sleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

Hangovers were the absolute worst.

Carlin's head throbbed as she forced herself to take a bite out of her sandwich, trying with every fiber of her being to block out the resounding thunder of hundreds of conversations going on in the public cafeteria downtown. It was next to impossible. She ground her teeth and stood abruptly from the table she was at, startling an older gentleman that shared it with her.

She gave him a half-assed apologetic look. "Sorry."

He only smiled, then went back to finishing his soup. Carlin picked up her tray and trudged down the aisle between rows of tables, avoiding darting toddlers and careless adults the whole way. She found a garbage and dumped her barely-eaten platter into it, when from off to her left her ears perked at a voice she recognized.

"Holy shit! This place is packed!"

It was Groot and the raccoon. Carlin blinked, eyes squinting at the pain engulfing her head. The cafeteria was a popular destination apparently. She watched them, amused. They were too fucking goofy. They were standing just inside the tall, glass entrance doors, heads swiveling left to right, searching for an available seat in the hall. As they did, Groot happened to look her way, catching her staring at them, a smile lighting up his adorable face. He waved at her. Carlin returned her own lazy wave, turning away to find a restroom.

"Who the hell are you _waving _at?" the raccoon asked with irritation.

"I am Groot." Groot pointed to Carlin's retreating back.

The raccoon peered through the hoards of people, but just missed Carlin as she disappeared around a corner. He sighed, flipping his paw at Groot in a dismissive fashion.

"I don't see that Terran lady, Groot. You're losing it, man."

* * *

"Fuck." Carlin panted, flushing the toilet for the third time.

She let go of it and slumped over against the blaring-white barrier that surrounded the stall, breathing heavily. Her head was spinning. She screwed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth. Someone entered the bathroom just then with a crying child. The headache swelled and she clamped her hands on each side of her head, willing it to stop. In times like this she swore she would never again lay another finger on an alcoholic beverage as long as she lived; but, that all changed once she was happy and sober, of course. It was a vicious cycle.

After sitting there like that on the filthy floor near the toilet for almost ten minutes, Carlin eventually got to her feet, albeit shakily. She unlatched the lock, pushed the door open and staggered across the way to the line of sinks to wash her hands. As she did so, she glanced up into the mirror, only to recoil at the hideous sight staring back. Her blonde hair was sticking up haphazardly on her head, dark circles hanging beneath her bloodshot blue eyes, a line of vomit dribbling from the corner of her mouth down to her chin.

"Christ." she groaned, swiping the vomit away on the back of her hand.

She bent over the sink and splashed icy-cold water into her face, hoping to better her appearance somewhat. Spitting some of the water out, she walked over and stuck her head under the hot dryer. It felt good. Once she had combed her hair out some with her fingers and dried herself, Carlin took a deep, steadying breath. She held it for a few seconds then exhaled in a slow and controlled manner. She still wasn't feeling too hot, but her headache had at least subsided a bit. Deciding she was fit for public eyes, the woman marched out of the swinging restroom door. Just as she was coming out, so was someone from the men's directly opposite from her. She looked up, as did he and both of them came to a sudden stop. It took less than five seconds for Carlin to assess him and know immediately who he was. Average built, blue skin, buzzed hair, an unmistakable scar under his right eye. He was Kree. He was her guy she'd been looking for.

"You-" she began lamely, close to falling backwards.

The Kree man wasted no time. He bolted, dashing through the crowded cafeteria, plowing people over and aside carelessly. Carlin swore under her breath, making a break after him, but that didn't last long, as her head swam and she lost her footing, stumbling into someone behind her. Whoever it was, they were sturdy as hell, for neither had fallen to the ground at her impact.

"Sorry about that." she said, looking around at the person.

He smiled down at her good-naturedly. "I am Groot."


	4. The Cure

A/N: Hello, everyone! Okay, this one is a BIG chapter, or at least it is compared to the others previous. I feel like there was something I wanted to say, but I can't remember now (of course). Well, if and when I do happen to remember, I will let you guys know. Anyway, I want to say thanks to my reviewers, favers and followers! You guys/gals are wonderful. Also, please excuse my bullshit techno-babble. I don't know the names of all the weaponry, gadgets and other things of that nature in the GOTG/Marvel universe. If you guys have more info on stuff like this, please feel free to let me know!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

* * *

"Groot!" Carlin gasped.

She went to turn to face him completely, but the action was too fast and her head pounded and she nearly toppled over yet again. Thankfully, Groot caught her before she could. He held her arm and scrutinized her with a questionable expression.

"I am Groot?"

"If you're wondering if I'm fine, I am. I just need to..." Carlin craned to look over her shoulder. "I need to go find someone."

"I am Groot?" he pressed, not letting go of her arm.

Carlin's head snapped back to look straight up at him. "Seriously, I'm fine. I just got a-a tiny bit of a hangover. That's all."

Groot's brow rose and he smirked at her. "I am Groot!"

"Groot, Sweetheart, please, let me go-"

"Groot! Grooot! _Groot?!" _

It was the raccoon stomping over to them, looking pissy as usual. Carlin groaned, shutting her eyes tight. Groot glanced back at his approaching friend, then presented the woman to him. The raccoon's watery, black eyes widened momentarily in surprise, then quickly narrowed and he crossed his arms.

"Groot, what the hell are you doing?"

"I am Groot." Groot indicated Carlin with one of his many vines.

Carlin grimaced at the raccoon. "Hi."

The raccoon scowled at the two. "I'm over here trying to find us a table and here you are playin' with some Terran broad!" he cried, throwing out his arms in exaggeration.

"Calm down, he only saved me from cracking my skull open." Carlin explained shortly, grinding her teeth at the pain in her head.

"Cracking your skull open?" the raccoon echoed incredulously.

"I am Groot."

The raccoon looked to his tree friend. "She's hungover? Well so am I, but you don't see _me _falling all over the place like an idiot."

"Hey!" Carlin cried, offended.

"I am Groot?" Groot went on asking.

"No! She ain't my problem," the raccoon started to turn away. "Come on, Groot, I'm freakin' starving! Let the chick go and let's eat."

"I am _Groot?" _he seemed to be pleading.

Carlin gripped her head with her free hand, wishing that Groot would just do as his friend had said and let her go. She needed to find the Kree man before he decided to go off planet, and as nice a guy Groot was, he was being really annoying. Not to mention she really could not stand to hear the raccoon's obnoxiously loud voice right now. Not while her head felt about ready to explode and her stomach churned, threatening to blow chunks again.

"No!" the raccoon said, his back to them.

"I am _Grooooot?"_

Carlin could see the furry animal's shoulders tense, arms becoming stiff at his sides, then he spun around and snapped at Groot.

"_Fine!_" he shot Carlin a detestable look.

"I am Groot." Groot answered cheerfully.

He freed Carlin's arm, beckoning her to follow him and the raccoon, elation painting his earthy features. Carlin threw one last longing look over her shoulder at the entrance doors that the Kree had run out of, then sighed with defeat, submitting to Groot's wish and followed after them. They led her back through the noisy heart of the cafeteria, to a vacant table at the end of a row. The raccoon hopped up onto a stool, setting his clawed paws atop the table, grumbling under his breath. Groot took a seat across from him and Carlin slowly sat down on the same side, moaning a little.

"Suck it up!" the raccoon barked at her.

"Shut up." Carlin retorted weakly, rubbing her forehead.

She felt a large hand rest on her upper back. "I am Groot?"

"No, I feel awful." she replied, covering her face with both hands.

The raccoon straightened, looking at her in shock and disbelief.

"You can understand him?"

Carlin shook her head, dropping her hands onto the table with a slap. "No. I just guessed by his delivery. Was I right?"

Groot nodded in affirmation, grinning his wooden head off.

"Lucky guess." the raccoon muttered.

"So, why am I here again?" she was looking back and forth between the two.

"Idiot here has some sort of infatuation with you-God knows why-and insists I help you with your hangover."

Carlin lifted an eyebrow, skeptical. "How are you suppose to do that?"

"Well, I have a secret cure, you see," the raccoon spoke low, his eyes glittering. "One that I've only ever shared with Groot."

He then reached inside his orange jumpsuit for a few seconds, withdrawing a tiny test tube filled with clear, yellow liquid and held it aloft between his claws. Carlin eyed it with suspicion.

"What the hell is that? Your piss?"

"_No! _It's my hangover miracle cure." he snapped defensively.

"Looks like piss to me."

"Hey! You better shut your ugly mug or you ain't getting any of this magic potion! Groot wanted you to have it, so I'm being uncharacteristically nice right now in even letting you sit with us, let alone sharing my precious secret elixir. So, do you want to try it or not?"

"I am Groot." the tree man coaxed her gently.

Carlin had her doubts about this so-called 'miracle cure', regardless of how much Groot pushed her. Who was to say he really wasn't so nice a guy and they weren't both out to poison her or something? They could have been bounty hunters too, now that she thought about it, and were after the same man as she. They would want to eliminate any competition if that were the case. Or at least_ she_ would anyway. The prize was a hefty one after all.

She glanced over at Groot, whose big, sweet brown eyes pleaded with her to try it. She buckled under him. That was a face she simply could not say 'no' to. Not in a million light years. She turned to face the raccoon, who was still holding the tube of urine-colored liquid, and sighed.

"Give it here." she put out her hand.

He set it in her palm with obvious reluctance. Her fingers curled around it and brought it close. She plucked the stopper from the top of it and took a sniff at the opening. Oddly enough, there was no odor. She narrowed her eyes at it, paranoid of being tricked.

"It only takes one sip. No more." the raccoon informed.

Carlin hesitated, then tipped the tiny glass tube to her lips, taking one sip as she was told. If it was indeed poison, she found it both funny and pathetic that she was going to be taken out by a tree and raccoon. The liquid glided into her mouth and she pinched her lips closed, swallowing. She was not sure _what _she was expecting it to taste like, but she had not thought it to be good. On the contrary, it was as tasteless as it was scentless. Like drinking water. She blinked, pulling the tube away from her mouth, puzzled. The raccoon thrust out his paw towards her expectantly, clearly wanting his elixir back. With a boggled mind, Carlin put the plug back in the top of the tube and handed it to the raccoon, who swiped it away and stashed it in his suit once more.

Groot nudged her shoulder. "I am Groot?"

"Well," Carlin licked her lips, contemplating. "I don't think it was piss."

The raccoon huffed, shaking his head down at the table. As Carlin sat there seconds after ingesting the miracle cure, she was more than surprised to feel her throbbing headache fade away and her stomach settle back to a more docile state. She could not have been recovering that fast on her own. She had been hungover dozens of times and never experienced such rapid convalesce.

"What the hell was that stuff you gave me?" she demanded anxiously.

"I _told _you! It's my secret hangover miracle cure!" the raccoon retorted.

"_Yes, _but what's _in _it?" she clarified her meaning.

The raccoon crossed his arms, his pointy teeth revealed by a wicked grin.

"It's secret for a reason, humie." he said darkly.

Carlin bit her lip, breathing hard through her nose. Even in just the last few moments of tossing words with the raccoon her entire body seemed to become much lighter, her senses sharpening and mind clearing. Whatever the hell he'd given her, it was working like magic and she could not help but be frightfully amazed. Next to her, Groot inquired again.

"I am Groot?"

The woman turned to look at him, her features lined with perplexion.

"I feel pretty good, which is freaking me out. But since Sneaky Sullivan over there won't give me any hints on the ingredients, I guess I'll just have to take it as is," she paused, studying the giant for a moment. "Thank you, Groot, for being so considerate towards me. Usually I'm just chastised for stuff like that."

Groot shook his head, eyes smiling. "I am Groot. I _am _Groot."

Carlin made a confused face, then looked to the raccoon for assisstance.

The raccoon sighed with impatience. "He says don't mention it. He wanted to repay you for helping him out at the bar the other night," he leaned on the table, staring Carlin down. "You good now? Great! Have a nice day!"

Carlin ignored him, returning her attention to Groot. "Seriously? Groot, you didn't have to _repay _me! I did that for you as a kind gesture and I expected nothing in return."

Groot gave a little shrug of his broad shoulders. "I am Groot."

"He knows that, he just wanted to do it anyway," the raccoon swiftly translated. "Now, we've spared plenty of time with you already. Scoot along, lady."

Groot shot his friend a displeased look, but Carlin did not oppose. She stood from her stool, steady on her feet, and turned to Groot, their eyes meeting perfectly as she now matched his seated height.

"Dare I say, see you around?" she said to him, her words carrying a hopeful undertone.

"I am Groot." was his firm reply.

Carlin grinned, turning to bid the raccoon good bye as well.

"You should patent that 'miracle cure'," she advised. "You could make some serious cash, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," he was shooing her off with his paws. "Hit the road!"

Carlin chuckled to herself as she walked away from them, not noticing the sad little look on Groot's face. Her mind was funneling down to one focal point at that moment: to find that Kree and get her reward.

* * *

_"How the _hell _did he get away from you?! He was right there and you could not have simply paralyzed him or something?"_

It was probably nearing ten O'clock at night in Earth time and Carlin sat on a chair on the balcony connected to her room she had bought for the night at a lavish hotel, communicator in one hand, a glass of water in the other. She wore her beige tunic and brown trousers still, sans the vest and boots. Her legs were propped up on the sleek, chrome railing that lined the balcony, one crossed over the other.

"I was in a public place. A very, very crowded public place." she took a drink of her water, being careful to leave out the details of her hangover situation from earlier that day.

_"I'm sure you could have found a way to do it without being seen. You're a bounty hunter, for shit's sake! You should be chock-full of tricks!" _her client's voice rang through the speaker.

Carlin watched her bare toes wiggle with dull amusement, debating on whether she should go to the bar again tonight or not in her mind.

"He hasn't left. I checked with the outbound flight security and they reported no Kree male went through their system. I'll find him tomorrow and you'll have him by the day after, don't worry."

_"You are starting to sound repetitious and I don't like it."_

"You need to calm down and stop doubting me."

_"I will do just that when I have that Kree back in my hands. Your week is running out, so you had better wake up and do your damn job!"_

The beep signalled he was gone and Carlin heaved a sigh, setting the communicator on the side table by the chair she was lounging in. She let her head fall back to rest on the chair's back support and shut her eyes, relishing the cool, night air. A slight breeze whipped over her face, ruffling her short blonde hair. Below and beyond she listened to the steady hum of speeding vehicles, people laughing, screaming, calling out, a concert hall somewhere thudding with faint music, the ceaseless cacophony that was the city.

She got a sudden itch then and her eyes fluttered open. Swinging her legs down from the railing, Carlin got to her feet and swept in to the hotel room. She pulled her boots back on and grabbed her trusty stunner gun, sticking it into the holster on her belt that was hidden by her tunic. Carlin decided she would give the bar another visit that night in the hopes that she could mollify her internal anger at having failed once again, byway of booze and perhaps some hot sex. It was irresponsible and dumb, but she could not just sit here and brood all night over Darnek's words.

* * *

"So, you're just visiting Xandar? You got family here or something?"

"I'm here on business."

"Oh, what kind of business?"

Carlin grinned coyly at the man sitting next to her at the bar.

"It's top secret business."

The man lifted a sharp, black eyebrow, his full lips parting a bit. Carlin giggled, knowing she had hit the jackpot with this guy. It had not taken long to hook up, as she had spotted him straight away upon entering the hot and crowded cantina about twenty minutes ago. She seen him sitting there, alone, stirring his mixed beverage, his golden eyes fixated on one of the huge entertainment screens hung up behind the counter, mouth agape with the intense focus he kept on the sport playing on it. Carlin had licked her lips like it was dinner time and strutted with overblown confidence towards him.

He was a handsome Kruwekan male, with a wavy mane of ebony hair that just brushed his shoulders, large, almond-shaped amber eyes, luscious lips and a tall, muscular frame. Carlin loved all men, but she certainly had her standards, and he topped that list. The Kruwek people were by nature a gorgeous race with their black hair and lavender hide, but this one here was most definitely model material.

"Top secret?" he echoed, mystified. "What? Are you like some sort of spy?"

Carlin tittered, shaking her head. "No! Though, even if I was, would you think I would tell you?"

The Kruwekan smiled slowly, his perfect white teeth showing.

"No."

"No," she agreed, taking a drink of her wine. "So, do you live here or are you visiting as well?

"I live a few blocks away," he answered nonchalant, but his eyes sparkled. "High-end apartment complex. Classy penthouse suite. Everyone who visits never want to leave."

Carlin's heart beat a tad faster at the very real prospect of going home with this man and doing all sorts of things with him; however, she maintained a cool facade. She was good at that, thank goodness.

"Huh, high society?" she stuck up her chin, peering at him down her nose.

_"Very _high society." he leaned towards her, eyebrows up, eyes half-lidded in a sensual manner.

Carlin very nearly squeaked with excitement, which she quickly reprimanded herself for in her mind. Though he didn't say it outright, it was plain to see he wanted her. He wanted her now. She pushed away her eager feelings and took the flirtatious attitude up three notches.

"Sounds nice," she set her glass down on the bar top, half-smiling. "I've always dreamed of living in a fancy penthouse apartment in a fashionable city somewhere." she yawned and stretched her arms above her head, making sure to push out her breasts as far as she dared without looking too obvious.

"Well," the Kruwekan tried not to stare, wetting his lips. "If you'd like, I could show it to you."

Carlin stretched her smile, extending an arm to touch his hand. "Really? I would love that."

"Hey! What the hell? Let me go, you assholes! What the hell are you doing? _Hey! Stop!"_

Both Carlin and the Kruwekan man looked around at the voice that suddenly rose above the din. Across the way there were three men of varying species making haste towards the entry doors and two of them carried something small between them. It was squirming and shouting all kinds of profanities the whole way out the door. Carlin's heart, which had been pitter-pattering with a thrill literally three seconds prior, was now dropping to her toes. She knew the bad-mouthed creature, but she did not know those men whom had just toted him out of the tavern. By the way it sounded, they were not friends either.

"Hmm, that didn't look too good." the Kruwekan commented thoughtfully.

"No, it didn't." Carlin was rigid, staring at the entry doors.

The Kruwekan looked at her, noting her change in countenance. "Are you alright?"

"No," Carlin started to get off her stool. "Look, I'm sorry, but, I think I may need to take a rain check on that tour."

"What?"

"Maybe I'll catch you another time?"

"Wait, where are you going?"

But it was too late. The blonde Terran was already striding fast towards the entrance where people drifted in and out of at a consistent rate, hoping against hope she was not making a dumb mistake.


	5. Rocket Raccoon

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. I only own Carlin. And all other made up characters.

* * *

The three men had not taken the talking raccoon very far; just around the corner in a narrow alleyway beside the bar, in fact. Carlin could hear him still shooting off threats and curse words, but it did not last long. There was the sickening sound of something hitting something else, accompanied by a sharp cry of pain. A low round of guffaws erupted shortly thereafter. There was coughing and she heard the raccoon speaking again, albeit much more weakly. She rounded the corner into the alley and saw the gang of men down it a ways. She winced as she could hear them punch him again, then laugh again, louder.

"You should've thought twice before double-crossing us, rodent." one said in a thick, rolling accent.

The other two chimed their agreement as they threw a third punch, to which the raccoon could only groan at. Carlin could not take another minute of this.

"Hey!" she called to them in an authoritative tone. "What the hell is going on here?"

The three brutes whipped around almost in unison. Carlin set her hands on her hips, feeling the lump of her gun beneath the material there. They were bigger than she thought and looked menacing in the dim light of the alleyway.

"Nothing that concerns you, wench!" the same man with the accent spat.

"Oh, I think it does," Carlin took a step forward. "You see, I'm security here at the bar and what you're doing to that man is illegal."

One of the men snorted with disdain. "He is no _man."_

"You're security?" another asked.

"Yeah and you better stop what you're doing or I'll have the Nova rangers on your butts!"

The thick-accented man chuckled evilly. She could hear his shoes scuff the ground as he advanced in her direction.

"You are no security. I come here regularly and know their officers well. None of them are female and none of them are _you."_

Carlin's heart sank and her mouth went dry. They dropped the raccoon carelessly on the pavement, where he landed with a dull _thud! _and faint moan, abandoning him for more tasty meat. Carlin's senses went on high alert, as they always did when she faced mortal danger, and she tensed, her right hand sliding under her tunic to find her gun.

"I'm newly hired. Just this morning actually. So you boys had better back off or I swear you'll be sorry." she warned with a level voice, her fingers tightening around the ridged grip of the gun.

"No, I'm afraid the only one who will be sorry tonight is you, my dear." the same man spoke again, now six feet from her.

Carlin inhaled, then exhaled. "Have it your way." In a flash she drew out her gun on them, shooting each once in the chest with lightening speed.

The bullies shrieked and collapsed to the ground in a heap of convulsions before suddenly becoming very still, as if petrified. Carlin put the stun gun back in its holster, strutting past the pile of paralyzed men, over to the silent, furry being still in the same place and position in which he had been left. She crouched down next to him and gingerly poked his back which was facing her. He let out a long, low groan. Carlin bit her lower lip.

"Hey? Um, are you okay?" she asked him, uncertain.

There was a beat before he rolled over to look at her. "Does it look like it, genius?"

"No," Carlin shifted a bit, her legs starting to cramp. "Look, I stunned those guys, but the effect doesn't last forever and I don't think we should be here when they get to moving again."

"Smart thinking."

"Don't be a smartass when I literally just saved your life." she growled.

"You didn't save anything. I had it taken care of."

Carlin snorted in exasperation. "Oh yeah, I could tell. _Not!"_

"I don't need shit from you, humie!" he hissed, getting onto his four paws shakily.

Carlin repressed the urge to argue with him, because now was really not the time or place. She knew they had a good half an hour before the bastards came around once more, but that didn't mean she wanted to linger in this spot. If someone was to find them while they were still here, she'd be in deep shit.

"Do you need help? I could carry you if you want-" she began to say, only to be cut off by the raccoon.

"I'm _fine _and don't you _ever _think of _carrying _me!"

Carlin threw her hands up in a sign of surrender and bounced up, backing off. She waited for him while he forced himself upright onto his hind legs and for a moment she thought he was going to fall over, but he steadied himself, taking a deep breath. Without saying anything to her, the raccoon started to walk off, his gait sluggish due to the injuries he had sustained. Carlin felt stung as she watched him go, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So that's it then?"

"What?" the raccoon stopped and looked back over his shoulder, annoyed.

"You're just gonna leave and not acknowledge the fact I saved your ass?" she put to question, resentment eating away at her soul.

"I told you that I had it taken care of!"

"Fuck no you didn't! Those men right there were hell-bent on crushing you to a pulp and you had no way of defending yourself! Admit it!"

They stood in the dark alleyway for a what felt like hours staring each other down. Carlin knew she'd made a mistake by coming out here. Why had she done it anyway? It's not like this asshole had treated her kindly before now. What did she care if he got obliterated by a bunch of thugs? When did she ever care about anyone else getting hurt? Her life was about herself and no one else. Up until yesterday that is, when she had met Groot and this guy. And that's when it hit her. Groot. Groot was her reason. She cared about Groot. Even though she barely knew him, he'd found a way to touch her heart. She cared about helping the vermin because of Groot, knowing they were best friends. Perhaps she hadn't initially thought this out, but it was a logical explanation for the dumb decision on her part.

"You know what, humie? You're starting to really grate on my nerves." the raccoon said through gritted teeth.

"I _saved _you!" she cried with indignance.

"ALRIGHT! Yes! You _saved _me!" he shouted at her, breathing hard. "You fucking saved me! Thank you! Are you fucking happy now?"

Carlin's mood lightened a little. "Yes."

"Great! Now go away and leave me the fuck alone!"

He continued on down the alley, stopping for a second to spit on the stunned thugs, then went and rounded the corner and was out of sight. Carlin stood there for a couple of minutes more before deciding to follow him. She sprinted down the narrow alley, leaping over the thugs, then turned out onto the busy walkway that was parallel with the street. She spotted the raccoon not too far away and made for him.

"Where's Groot?" she asked as she came jogging up beside him.

The raccoon did a double take, eyes widening in disbelief, then narrowing to feral slits.

"For real, lady? What the hell is your problem? Go away!" he lashed out.

"Not until you tell me where Groot is." she answered stubbornly.

"He's not with me! Why do you care anyway?"

Carlin shrugged. "I don't know. It's just I thought you two were connected at the hip."

The raccoon halted and rounded on her suddenly.

"Look, humie, I don't know what your deal is-" he started to say, but Carlin spoke across him.

"There is no _deal. _I have no deal against you or your pal," she looked down at him, her harsh tone softening. "I don't know why, but I keep meeting you two and it's beginning to be weird. Like, the forces of the universe are making us do so or something to that degree. I'm sorry if I seem to be stalking you. I promise I'm not."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." the raccoon was clearly not convinced.

"I swear!"

"Okay! Good. Wonderful. Now can I go, please?"

Carlin could hear the weariness in his voice and she remembered that he was hurting. Probably a lot. She felt a twinge of guilt inside. When she said nothing more, he took that as his opportunity to walk away again.

"I never got your name, you know?" she said, going right along with him.

"My God are you freaking irritating," the raccoon complained loudly, hesitated, then answered in a quieter voice. "It's Rocket."

"Rocket?" a smile tugged at the human's lips. "My name is Carlin."

"Amazing." was Rocket's dry reply.

"So, Rocket, is there any reason why you don't carry a weapon? Especially when your muscle's not around?" Carlin inquired, for the question had been burning on her mind since the moment she'd saved him.

"I _always _carry a weapon. A big one, in fact." he was quick to say.

Carlin lifted an eyebrow at him. "Well, why didn't you use it on those guys?"

"Because, I didn't have it with me then!" he snapped, adding. "I thought being on Xandar and all I didn't _need _to haul around a loaded gun, but I guess I was just proved wrong."

"You can never be too careful. Even on such a lovely planet as Xandar." Carlin said.

"No kidding? Thanks for the advice, oh wise female humie."

Carlin didn't fall into his trap. "You're welcome."


	6. Sleep Over

A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's another update for whoever's interested. I'm just really going to town on this thing, seriously. Before I let you on to read, I just wanted to make a statement to my followers/favers: if you're into this story and like it enough to follow or fav, why not take the time to review it as well? I don't want to sound needy or pushy or whatever, it just doesn't make any sense to me. Reviews don't have to be long and drawn out, they can be as simple as "Hey, I like your story!" and that's it! Seriously, is that really so hard to do? Give me your input! I'm all ears for criticism too. If I'm doing something wrong, tell me. If you have a suggestion, tell me. If you have a question, ask me. If you simply want to say hi, tell me. I love hearing from you guys!

Anyway, sorry about the rant. I just had to get it off of my chest. Ahem, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

* * *

Carlin had strolled the rest of the way home with the talking raccoon, all the whilst they had quite the extensive exchange of snarky remarks and sparse information on one another. The place where he and Groot resided was not far away from the bar; it was in an old, abandoned parking structure on the east side of the city. Carlin frowned up at the desolate place as they neared, legging behind Rocket somewhat. She had not thought they would be staying somewhere like this, somewhere so creepy.

"Home sweet home, for now," Rocket muttered under his breath, starting up a set of crumbling cement stairs. "Impressive, huh?"

"Yeah," Carlin climbed up after him, nearly slipping on a loose stone. "Any particular reason why you chose the location?"

"Simple, no charge applied."

Carlin nodded. "Makes sense."

They clambered up three flights before finally reaching the level he and Groot were habituating, which was just as unpleasant as the rest of the dilapidated establishment. A chill breeze swept through the place, causing goosebumps to break out across Carlin's fair skin and she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself to collect warmth. In front of her, Rocket pulled some sort of small device from out of one of his many pockets. He flipped a switch on it and a bright light bloomed from the end of it. A flashlight of sorts.

"Groot! Are you freaking sleeping?" Rocket called out to his friend, his voice reverberating through the spacious, empty parking lot. "Get up you good-for-nothing pile of twigs! We have company!"

There was a sound of movement in the shadows beyond the flashlight's range, something big and heavy. A few seconds later and Groot's tree-like features were illuminated by the dazzling light, his large eyes twinkling as they reflected it.

"I am Groot?" he wondered in a groggy manner, yawning.

Rocket put the light on Carlin as an answer, blinding the woman momentarily.

"What the hell? Don't _do _that!" she shut her eyes and clamped her hands over them.

"Stop whining!" Rocket scolded her.

Groot's drowsy demeanor brightened immediately when he saw who was their guest, his mouth lifting into a giant grin. "I am Groot!" he greeted Carlin jovially.

Carlin, blinking and wiping away the tears brought on by the brilliant light, allowed herself a smile at his obvious delight of her being there, which warmed her usually cold heart considerably.

"We just can't stay away from each other, can we?" she joked with him.

"I am _Groot." _

Rocket cleared his throat. "Humie here was asking where you were. I told her to buzz off, but you know how stalkers can be."

Carlin snorted. "What he means to say, is that I saved his butt from some dudes who were ready to make a pretty hat out of him."

"Shut your trap, lady!"

"I am Groot?" Groot questioned Rocket, his brow rising.

"So a few morons had me cornered and she helped me out. So what? No big deal!" Rocket brushed it off like it were nothing.

"I saved your life." Carlin stated with a fearsome edge to her solemn voice.

Groot stepped towards Rocket. "I am _Groot?"_

"Okay! Okay! She saved my ass! I could've died, but she saved me!" the raccoon blurted out, his teeth bared. "She saved me! She saved me! She. Saved. _Me! _Are we all fucking happy now? Fucking hell!"

The firey furball stomped off, the flashlight bobbing about in his grasp. Groot peered at Carlin in the dark.

"I am Groot?" he was hoping for an elaboration on the events he'd missed that night.

Carlin fished around in her brain for possibilities of what he might be saying or asking. She tried answering the best she could.

"I seen this bunch of men carrying him out of the bar and he was yelling at them to let him go, so I just thought he was in trouble and I sort of rescued him. They were wanting to kill him as payback for some underhanded stuff he'd done to them, I guess. I still don't know exactly what that was all about, but he's here and safe. So, yeah, that was our evening out. Pretty exciting, eh?"

"Of course it was exciting to the moron who wasn't getting her lights punched out by a team of pricks." Rocket snided from a few feet away, setting up the flashlight so that it shined up at the ceiling, creating a glow in the immediate area.

"I am Groot?!" Groot went to Rocket, his deep, creaking voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine, idiot!" the raccoon barked up at the tree. "They weren't so tough. They barely touched me."

Carlin wanted to beg to differ, but figured it would only serve to ignite the argument further and she was sick of fighting with Rocket, so she let it go. When it was clear that his buddy wanted no comfort, Groot turned his attention back onto the woman. It only took him two long strides to reach her in the eight feet that separated them and with no warning he swooped down to capture her in a bone-crushing embrace, lifting her four feet off the ground. Carlin let out a surprised squeak, to her dismay, trying to compute what was happening.

"Cripes sake, Groot!" she heard Rocket shriek in horror. "You're a professional! Professionals don't hug! Stop that, you idiot!"

Groot seemed reluctant, but he heeded his friend's words and released Carlin, setting her back down gently on her feet. Carlin swayed on the spot, trying to find her bearings. She couldn't remember the last time she had been hugged by anyone like that, so having a giant tree man do it out of nowhere was more than enough to shock the hell out of her.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Rocket berated Groot.

"I am Groot." Groot sounded apologetic.

"You should be! Fucking hugging and shit. No wonder this chick ain't scared of you! You act like a pussy everytime she's around!"

Carlin watched them from the sidelines, bewildered. It was a strange scene, a tiny raccoon talking down an enormous tree creature. She swore sometimes this all had to be a dream. A really weird dream. And when she woke up, she'd be laying next to some beautiful, naked man on her ship after a night of wild sex.

Or so she hoped.

"Hey, g-give him a break, will you?" she said after a minute of listening to the raccoon lecture his friend. "He was only saying thanks. I-I think."

"Saying thanks is one thing, hugging is another," said Rocket, infuriated. "We have a reputation to uphold and he ruins it when he goes and does crap like this!"

"What reputation? I had never heard of you guys before now. What are you anyway? Junkers? Bounty hunters? _Spies?" _

"None of your damn business is what we are!" Rocket replied sharply.

"So we're back to alienating me again, are we?" Carlin sighed, jaded. "Even after I buy you drinks and save your life?"

"Don't forget that I shared my secret hangover cure with you, lady!" the raccoon reminded her, pointing a clawed finger directly at her. "For free too! I could have refused you or asked for payment, but I didn't."

"The only reason you did that for me was because Groot wanted it. Otherwise, you could have cared less."

"So, are you saying you would've cared _more? _That's a new one for me. Bounty hunters are usually the selfish type."

Carlin was not expecting him to say that. "How do you know what I am?"

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Rocket laughed wryly. "You might as fucking well wear a neon sign on your head saying 'I am a bounty hunter'. It would be no more obvious."

"My are you observant," Carlin folded her arms, irked. "Yes, I am a bounty hunter. No, I would not have cared more, especially for the likes of _you. _For someone like Groot, however, I think I'd make an exception. Like inviting him to stay at my hotel room instead of having to sleep in this tower of rubble."

Rocket's ears perked. "Wait-what?!"

"I am Groot?" the gentle giant was interested.

Carlin nodded. "Yeah, nice, clean fancy hotel suite. Gorgeous view of the city. Hot tub. It has it all. And I was willing to share it with you, thinking I'd care for a change; but now that you've once again treated me like scum, I don't feel as open to the idea."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, _whoa!" _Rocket waved his paws around frantically. "Are you saying that you are actually considering letting us stay with you at your cozy hotel?"

"I _was." _the woman corrected.

"What would have been the catch?" Rocket queried.

"Nothing! I was being fucking nice! Christ, man, not everyone is out to get you!" Carlin cried, fed up.

It was like running in circles with this guy, and Carlin had lost whatever small amount of patience she had left for him in that instant. She liked Groot, but Rocket was an aggravating little troll and she could not take it anymore. Turning on her heel, the bounty hunter hustled for the stairs that led back down to the ground level, ignoring the cries of protest at her back. She could hear Rocket's light scuttle and Groot's lumbering following after her, but she kept on. She had a mission and these two were hindering it. She needed to catch her guy and get the hell off this lousy planet as soon as possible.

Just as she was about to hit the second flight, Carlin felt something wrap around her middle and stop her.

"Hey! What the-" she yelped as she was jerked off her feet, backwards into the air.

She realized then that it was a long, thick vine that was protruding from Groot and she let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled her up and around to face him.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, humie?" Rocket was now perched on Groot's shoulder, his narrow head jutted forward at her.

"I am Groot." Groot added.

"Where the hell do you think I'm going?" Carlin coolly returned the question.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that lovely hotel of yours," it may have been dark, but it was clear that the raccoon was smirking. "Am I right?"

Carlin stayed silent, glaring daggers at Rocket, who chortled and said,

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. I'll also take you up on that offer. So here's the deal: we set you down and you lead the way back there. Okay? That sound fair?"

"Do I really have a choice?" was Carlin's acidic reply.

* * *

Carlin pushed her index finger against the scanner that was set into the wall next to the hotel room's door, kept it there about three seconds as it scanned her fingerprint, then took it off when a high-pitched beep issued along with a bright orange light, signalling that it recognized her. The door unlocked and she pushed it open, stepping over the threshold and into the warm suite.

Rocket let out a low whistle as he and Groot, who had to bend his head to get through the doorframe, entered behind her.

"You weren't kidding," the anthropomorphic raccoon was in awe as he glanced around the sumptuous room. "This place is the fucking ritz!"

"I _am _Groot." the tree being agreed, also looking about with wide eyes.

"Tone it down, will you?" Carlin hissed, sitting on the edge of one of the two king-sized beds that sat in the center of the suite, tugging off her boots. "I don't need the neighbors hearing and getting me kicked out."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Rocket sauntered through, leaping up onto the other bed. "We hit it big tonight, Groot, ol' buddy, ol' pal, I tell ya!"

Groot barely registered his furry friend, as he was so caught up in exploring every inch of the hotel room. Currently he was poking at an odd sculpture of some alien animal that sat on a polished bureau across from the open hot tub. Carlin watched him, a smile creeping onto her face at his patent wonderment. He was so big and intimidating, yet so innocent and childlike. It was endearing.

Rocket, who had kicked back on the bed, was also watching his companion closely. Groot looked over at them for half a moment, then wandered over to the bathroom, disappearing from view as he slipped inside. It was not a second later and the sound of the shower being turned on came from within, making Carlin look around at Rocket with a questioning expression.

"He's probably thirsty," Rocket explained casually, sticking his pinky into his ear to itch it. "Can never get enough water for him."

"I can imagine."

After what seemed like a half an hour, the water ceased running and a minute later Groot came walking out of the bathroom, his mouth wet and dripping water onto the burgundy carpeting.

"Had your fill?" Rocket asked.

Groot nodded happily at him, beaming, then continued across the room to the sliding glass door that led out onto the balcony.

"Well, you ain't getting him back in here now." Rocket snorted softly.

Carlin stood from the bed. "Why is that?"

"Groot loves great views, plus he prefers to sleep outside."

"Ah." Carlin understood.

She was about to head to the bathroom herself, when Rocket spoke again.

"Say, humie?"

"Yes?" she turned to him, eyebrow cocked curiously.

The raccoon wasn't looking at her, but at his paws. There was a strange, conflicted look crossing his masked face and he seemed to have difficulty speaking the next few words.

"I-I uh, I-" he stopped, licking his chops, clearing his throat. "I just wanted to say th-thanks."

"Didn't you already?" Carlin said, not hiding her grin.

"Yeah, but not properly. I mean," he struggled with himself, letting out a defeated little sigh, his compact body slouching. "I mean, you did save my life 'n' all."

"And let you stay in my fancy hotel." Carlin was on the verge of hysterical laughter, yet she did not exactly know why.

"Yeah, and _that." _

"You're welcome, Rocket." she simply stated, then turned and made for the bathroom with a compressed giggle on her tongue.


	7. Mistakes

A/N: Thank you to all the reviews, favs and new followers of this story! You guys are fabulous! Not much to say right now. I'm thinking the end of the story is nearing with the next couple of chapters, maybe. I don't know. Depends on the material I have left. Anyway, I thought I might let you guys know. I will say it again though when it is official, so don't worry. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

* * *

Groot could not sleep. It had to be close to three in the morning by now, yet he barely yawned. He guessed that nap he'd had while Rocket went out to the bar earlier was to blame. He regretted that now. He should have been there with his much smaller friend, protecting him from those ruffians. Thank goodness Carlin had seen and done something, otherwise Rocket may not have returned. The thought of that made the humanoid tree shudder. He decided that for now on, regardless if he wanted to go somewhere or not, that he would never leave Rocket unattended. He was too popular for his own good and Groot could not risk losing him again to some person he had supposedly cheated in the past.

Groot peeked into the hotel suite from where he had rooted himself on the veranda, making sure his best friend and his new friend were okay. They were, both sleeping in each bed, both snoring loudly. Rocket was curled into a tight ball atop the sheets, a position he frequented when in slumber, whilst Carlin was lying on her stomach, sheet half covering her, one arm hanging limply off the side of the bed, fingers twitching every so often.

The tree giant smiled, affection for the two streaming through his sap-filled veins, then turned back to looking out over the blazing landscape of the city that seemed to stretch on forever and ever, a sea of brilliant lights. He wondered if anyone ever slept around here. The glass door to the nextdoor balcony was left wide open, because Groot could hear the people inside quite clearly and they were making the most peculiar sounds.

Trying to block them out of his mind, he lifted his head to gaze up at the dazzling array of stars in the inky black sky overhead for what must have been the hundredth time that night. They were beautiful and Groot could honestly not get enough of it. He thought of Carlin and wondered if she liked looking at the stars as much as he did. Rocket didn't. He said that they lived among them, so why should it be anything special to stare at them some more? They were just balls of gas and nothing more is what he had told him. Groot respected his friend's opinion, but that certainly did not change his own.

Groot wondered more over Carlin as he studied the cosmos. He did not know why he found her so intriguing, but he did. Perhaps it was because she was Terran, a race of beings Groot had always found to be fascinating. Perhaps it was because she was a bounty hunter, similar to his and Rocket's own line of work. Or perhaps it was just her herself. From the day he had met her Groot had been attracted. Not in the way most beings do, including Terrans, but in his own Groot way.

His species were especially sensitive and intuitive about other living things, making them superb judges of character. Carlin, by Groot's sense, was a good individual. Her profession may mislead some to believe differently, but Groot knew her intentions were anything other than bad.

At least when it came to him and Rocket anyway.

And so far he'd proven right. From aiding him in ordering those drinks to saving his best friend's life tonight, she had done only good in his eyes. For that he held great esteem for her and that was adding to the admiration he had already felt. And to her incredibly alluring scent. Yes, if actions were not enough to convince him, then her intoxicating aroma was. Did all Terrans smell so divine as Carlin? If so, it was just another reason atop his other many reasons to visit Earth one day and experience it in full.

Groot glanced back in the room once again, though he knew what to expect. Rocket and Carlin would still be sleeping soundly. He was not sure why he kept feeling the need to check on them, until his eyes beheld a disturbing sight. Standing on the farthest side of Carlin's bed was a dark figure, veiled in shadow. Alarm bells sounded in Groot's wooden head. In an instant he was up and bursting into the suite through the sliding glass door, his thunderous footsteps shaking everything and ripping his companions from their dreams. The figure flinched, then climbed onto Carlin's bed just as the young woman opened her eyes. It did not take long to realize some strange person was straddling her and Carlin started with an ear-piercing scream. Rocket was fully awake now and hollering too in fear.

"I AM GROOT!" Groot bellowed, swatting the unknown person off of Carlin with his large, strong hand.

The figure slammed against the wall with an audible grunt, dropped to the floor, then bounced up and scurried for the exit, feet thumping on the carpet. They did not get far as one of Groot's many vines whipped out and curled none too gently around their waist, dragging them backward with a violent motion. Carlin, freaking out, scrambled across her bed to reach for the lamp on the bedside table. She flipped it on just as Rocket drew out his powerful machine blaster, panting hard. What she saw before her was startling.

There in Groot's constricting grasp was the very Kree convict that she'd been hunting.

"What the fuck?" Rocket said.

Carlin gaped at the blue man, flabbergasted. "You-how the _hell _did you get in here?!"

The Kree, who was breathing heavily through his nose, glowered at her and answered in a low, husky voice.

"It was not hard, considering you did not bother to close the door completely. What an efficient bounty huntress you are, Carlin Hardy."

"What?" Rocket turned to Carlin, gun lowered to his side. "This is your guy you've been chasing?"

"Yes," Carlin slid off the bed and edged up to where Groot had the Kree hostage. "Bet you weren't expecting a party, eh Zera?"

Zera the Kree's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, his upper lip curling in a sneer. Carlin chuckled, then lifted her line of sight to Groot, whose usual sweet face was set in a grim frown, which she actually thought was pretty damn scary.

"Thank you, Groot!" she addressed him, grateful to his fast actions. "You did awesome."

"I am Groot." he rumbled, his features softening a bit as he looked upon her.

Rocket joined the circle, shaking his furry head. "You didn't close your damn door? Talk about not being too careful. Yeesh."

"Hey, I made a mistake just as well as you did," Carlin easily admitted, spotting something shining on the floor in her peripheral vision. "Strange how they both could have been fatal to us, though."

She strolled over and bent to pick the shining object off from the floor; a ten inch perfectly sharpened dagger. She pivoted to face the others, presenting it to them with a tight smile. Groot growled at the sight of it and strengthened his grip on Zera, while Rocket scoffed, crossing his arms. Before any of them could say a word more, there was a pounding at the door to the suite, along with a number of surly voices demanding to be let in.

Carlin let out a tired sigh, shoulders sagging.

"Shit."


	8. A Deal

A/N: Hello, everyone and anyone! Firstly, I apologize for the ridiculously late update on this story! Life decided to get in the way and, well, you know how that goes... Apart from that, I have nothing much to say except THANK YOU to all of my loyal readers! Thank you to you people who have either chose to follow or fav this story or both, and especially thank you to those who have taken the time out of their busy day to type up a review! You each get a Groot flower!

Onward with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

* * *

"Groot, hide him!" Carlin whispered urgently, sliding open a drawer in the dresser where she dropped the dagger inside, shoved it closed again, then pranced over to the door.

Groot wasn't really sure what to do with the Kree when it came to hiding him, so he quickly backed into a corner, tucking the blue alien behind him, all the while Rocket snickered and slid his dangerous weapon underneath the bed he'd occupied. He then leapt back up onto it and reclined against the stack of feather pillows that were leant on the headboard, just as Carlin was opening the door.

"May I help you?" she asked in the most innocent and polite manner possible, which earned a loud snort from Rocket.

Standing outside in the corridor were three men: two from security and the hotel manager himself. They were all three native Xandarians. The two security officers were tall, thin young men with close-shaven heads; the manager was shorter, older and had snow white hair that was parted down the middle of his head and a matching toothbrush mustache. They all wore uniforms of the popular burgundy and bronze colors that was seen around the hotel.

"I received multiple calls just now complaining of a commotion coming from in here. They said there was screaming and people pounding on the walls and floor." the manager informed tersely, his pale blue eyes looking past her into the room.

Carlin furrowed her brow for a moment in confusion, then gasped, simulating a dawn of realization on her face.

"I'm sorry! My guests and I were having some fun," she grimaced with embarassment. "I suppose we got a little carried away, huh?"

The manager cocked an eyebrow. "Guests?" he echoed, perturbed.

"Yeah!" Carlin nodded, grinning like a dimwit.

"Ahem, may we enter and take a look around, Miss...?"

"Hardy," Carlin finished for him, then stood aside, sweeping her arm out in an inviting gesture. "Sure, come right on in!"

The three men marched past her and into the heart of the suite, stopping dead when their eyes landed on Rocket and Groot. Rocket waved a paw at them, his fangs glistening in a nasty smile. Groot gave them a slight nod, not moving an inch from his stance in the corner. Carlin shut the door halfway and walked over to stand next to the manager, who was staring in utter bewilderment at the two oddball creatures before him, his mouth agape. Carlin could not begin to imagine the scenarios playing out in his stuffy head right now involving her, a tree and a raccoon.

"These are your... guests, I presume?" he finally was able to say after a few moments of absorbing the scene.

"Yes, aren't they adorable?" Carlin gave a cute giggle, putting on the most sickening bimbo act she could muster at almost four o'clock in the morning.

The two from security were hardly trying to stifle their chuckles, while the manager seemed on the verge of a heart attack.

"I'm afraid, Miss Hardy, that I am going to have to conclude your stay," he turned to her, his already pale complexion three shades lighter. "And I will have to call the authorities as well. I understand that you are not a citizen of Xandar, but our government strictly prohibits the practice of prostitution-"

"I am _not _a prostitute!" Carlin spoke over him, outraged at the assumption.

The manager paled even more, if that was possible, his eyes wide with horror.

"Oh-oh my!" he squeaked, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "I d-do apologize! It's just you-they-it all appeared s-so-so-I-"

"So you take one look and think there's some sort of freaky threesome going on in here? Is that it?! Hey, why don't you go and do yourself a favor, sir, and get your damn mind out of the gutter for shit's sake!" Carlin blew up in his face, steaming like a hot kettle on a stove.

"I-I-" the ashen-faced manager stammered, pinned his lips, his tongue flicking out to moisten them, then spoke again with much more control. "Please, do excuse us for the trouble, Miss Hardy. You will only be left with a warning. Just one. Whatever it was that you were doing, I ask you to please stop. Thank you and good night."

And with that, he and the two security officers hustled from the suite, closing the door with a _snap! _behind them.

"Asshole," Carlin grumbled hotly, her hands balled up into fists. "Do I look like a fucking prostitute? What an absolute _moron!"_

"Hey, how do you think we feel?" Rocket piped up from the bed, indignant. "That idiot thought we _paid _to have sex with _you! _As if!"

"I am Groot." the wood giant chided his friend softly, stepping away from the corner with the Kree still captive in his twisting vines.

"What? Are you saying that you're _okay_ with that idea?" the raccoon questioned shrewdly, watery eyes narrowed, ears flattened to his skull.

"Look, none of that matters right now, jackass!" Carlin snarled with ferocity at him. "I need to get this guy out of here, onto my ship and off this stupid-ass planet ASAP!"

"So? Why the hell should I care about what you have to do?" Rocket put to question, crossing his furry arms in front of him.

"I'm not saying you should care, I'm telling you what I have to do, Idiot!"

"If there's anyone whose the _idiot _here, it's _you!" _Rocket stood up on the bed, pointing at her accusingly. "Your man here was going to _kill _you! Lucky Groot and I was here, otherwise you'd be mincemeat, Girlie!"

"Groot and _you?" _Carlin let out a short, fake laugh, placing her hands on her hips. "Groot was the one up and watching! Groot was the one who acted first and got the motherfucker off of me! And what were you doing? Oh, yeah, fucking _sleeping!"_

Rocket frowned at her, but said nothing more. She had a point there.

"I am Groot?" Groot spoke next to Carlin.

Carlin looked up at him as Rocket answered gruffly.

"No, are you fucking insane? We got our own problems to deal with, we don't need hers too."

"What did he say?" Carlin wanted to know.

The raccoon ignored her pointedly, continuing to his tree friend.

"Just chuck that guy off the balcony. We'll be gone before anyone'll think to check here."

Groot blinked in surprise at his tiny mammal companion, whilst Carlin almost shit her pants.

"Groot, don't listen to him!" she ordered the giant in a panic, throwing her arms up wildly,then rounded on Rocket, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. "Are you _crazy?!_ You already know that I'm a bounty hunter, right? Right. Well then you must know he has a price on his head, right? Yes, he does! A fucking _huge_ one at that! He's worth eight hundred and thirty units! _Eight hundred and thirty units!"_

"Eight hundred and thirty units?! Fuck..." Rocket slumped, his mind going a mile a second with thoughts and ideas.

Carlin nodded. "Yes, I know. That's why it's important that I get him onto my ship right away! My days are numbered and I can't risk some other jerkass stealing my reward."

"Again, still not my concern, unless..." Rocket dwindled off, a devious glint showing in his dark eyes.

Carlin's paranoid and defensive nature immediately put her on guard, suspicious of the raccoon's intentions behind that one word.

"Unless what?" she folded her arms slowly over her full chest.

"Unless we take him off your hands?"

Groot gasped. Carlin narrowed her eyes at the talking beast. Her entire frame became rigid and her hands clamped into white-knuckled fists.

"You wouldn't fucking dare." she growled low, like a lioness would when another threatened to take her meat.

"We _would_ dare, wouldn't we, Groot?" Rocket glanced at his partner for support.

Groot only glared back at him, not at all amused.

"I am Groot." he said with a stern voice, shaking his head.

"Come _on, _Groot! Eight hundred and thirty units, that puts our lot to filthy shame, Man! All you'd have to do is knock her out and we'd be free to go! That's all!" Rocket was trying his hardest to convince Groot his idea was a good one, even though the wooden man looked like he was ready to smack him.

"I am _Groot."_

"But we could be rich!" Rocket cried desperately, hopping to the end of the bed to get nearer to Groot. "Isn't that what we always wanted? To be filthy, stinkin' rich? Come on, Groot, ol' buddy, ol' pal, work with me here!"

_"I am Groot!" _Groot roared, making both Rocket and Carlin cover their ears and grit their teeth.

Rocket sighed in defeat as he lowered his paws to his sides, giving Groot a blistering look.

"Fine," he grumbled, turning to the blond human with utter reluctance. "We won't be jerkasses and steal your reward. However, we'll help with your burden if and _only _if you're willing to split the profit with us. How's that sound?"

Carlin stared coldly at Rocket for a few moments, before lifting her gaze to Groot for some sort of guidance on the decision at hand. Groot blinked and smiled sweetly down at her, encouraging her to take the offer, just as he had with the secret hangover miracle cure. And he had done right by her then. Surely he would do the same now? After all, he had just outright refused to dupe her with Rocket. He would clearly not allow the raccoon to swindle her, so what could it hurt? It would definitely be nice to have a few extra hands aid her with the Kree, for he posed more of a threat than she had previously thought.

"Sounds good," she answered curtly. "We may have to leave soon though, for I have the distinct feeling that after Groot's little outburst there we will have some familiar visitors again."

Not even a minute after she had said this and there was a sharp knock at the door to the hotel room, signaling that their happy, luxury time was up.


	9. Escape to The Oreo

A/N: Heyo! Nothing to really say except thank you to all my new followers and favers! Enjoy this extra early update!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy".

* * *

Neither Carlin nor Rocket were given a chance to think of a plan of escape with their Kree captive, for Groot had taken initiative in a heartbeat. Without so much as a warning to his friends, the tree creature grabbed them each with his massive hands, stuck them to the front of his body, wrapping vines about them like he had with Zera on his back and marched out onto the balcony of the suite.

Carlin wasn't a genius by any means, but she knew what Groot was getting at as the chill night air hit her face and stirred her blond locks.

"Groot," she started warily, feeling a panic attack coming on quick. "Groot. Groot? Groot, please, don't do it. _Groot?!"_

"Groot, you bastard, stop!" Rocket yelled, squirming in the bindings that encircled him snuggly, having got the hint of the idea as well apparently. "I'm warning you! You go over that Goddamned railing, it's your funeral! Groot?! Groot! _Stop!"_

Groot knew they were terrified of his scheme, and to be honest they had every right. After all, they were ten stories up from the cement ground below. One slip on his part and they'd be either critically injured or dead. He swallowed hard, momentarily debating the situation. He could hear the banging on the door inside and knew they had no time to waste. It was a risk, but what other choice did they have? To confront the staff and start a giant battle in the hotel? No. That would not do. Not tonight. Groot had his plan and he would see it through and they would be all right. They were just going to have to trust him and know he would never let any harm come to them whilst they were in his care. Giving a decisive snort, the tree being stepped over the metallic railing and began their descent.

"_Groot! No! NO, NO, NO! Oh God, oh God, Oh God! We're going to fucking DIE!" _Carlin shrieked, hyperventilating.

_"YOU IDIOT! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" _Rocket bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Groot cringed at their screams, wishing they would hush; they didn't need to wake up everyone in the building and defeat his whole purpose of taking this dangerous route of escape. Carefully and gradually he made his way down alongside the hotel, stretching his limbs to grip the railings of the suites' balconies at each level below. Thank goodness no other guests were star-gazing or hanging out on the veranda as they passed each room. When they had got to the third story, Groot noticed that Carlin had fallen silent and still in his grasp quite suddenly. Rocket, however, kept up his homicidal threats the entire time, though he had thankfully decreased the volume of his harsh voice at least. Once they had finally reached the safety of the ground, Groot released the raccoon and human from his clutches. It turned out that Carlin had not simply gone quiet for no reason; she had completely fainted.

"Look what you did?! You fucking scared her to death! _Fucking asshole!" _Rocket upbraided him, still slightly shaky from the whole experience.

"I am Groot!" Groot retorted, switching the Terran from the bindings against his chest to his arms instead.

"How's our booty doing?" Rocket wondered, walking behind Groot to check on the Kree.

He was still wrapped up nicely, only his blazing orange eyes showing and he looked nothing short of pissed off. Rocket chuckled at him, presenting him the bird before walking away to Groot's front again. They were fortunate that the streets and walkways were all but deserted now, except for a few drunkards and young punks, otherwise they would have been quite the show. However, they still had a disgruntled hotel manager probably searching for them up above, so it was important that they get out of this vicinity as soon as possible. Rocket looked back up at the limp Carlin in his best friend's arms, coming to realize something.

"We don't know where her ship is!"

Groot, who had been studying the human's facial features closely, snapped his attention back to Rocket, blinking a few times.

"I am Groot?"

"No! We never got around to discussing our means of transportation," the raccoon sighed exaggeratedly, rubbing his face with his paws. "Shit! This is just great. We have to wake her up, Groot!"

"I _am _Groot?" Groot offered.

Rocket nodded in agreement. "Yeah, water should do the trick for sure. Come on, let's go before Manager Tight-pants and his crew finds us."

* * *

"Well? What are you waiting for? Go ahead!"

Groot hesitated for a second, silently apologizing to the woman beforehand, then he took the old bucket filled with cold water from the bay nearby and splashed it on Carlin's unconscious form. The instant it made contact with her body the Terran came to life, eyes wide, spluttering and panting.

"Jesus Christ! What the fuck?!" she gasped, hugging herself. "I'm f-fucking _freezing!"_

Groot felt awful, but Rocket just laughed.

"Quit your whining, Humie. It's only water."

"W-water?" Carlin squinted at him, confused and shivering. "Why-?"

"You passed out on the way down," Rocket explained with amusement. "Never took you as the fainting type, Carly."

Carlin's memory flashed in her head and she groaned.

"I-I'm afraid of heights. And d-don't call m-me Carly!" she said through chattering teeth.

The human struggled to get to her feet, both weak from being unconscious and the cold dampness of her clothes. While Rocket only watched and chortled at her, Groot moved forward to help her. He effortlessly lifted her onto her two feet, but made sure to hold her until she was steady enough. Carlin gripped his rough, gnarly arms, for she was certain that if she let go, her legs would collapse from under her.

"Th-thanks, Groot," she managed to say, raising her gaze to meet his. "I f-feel terrible."

"You'll get over it," Rocket assured her bluntly. "Now, where's your ship? We gotta get this bastard back to his collector so we can get our bounty."

Sometimes that raccoon could be incredibly irritating and Carlin was sorely tempted to stun his furry ass just so that she could enjoy a peaceful journey back to Darnek's prison; but, because she liked Groot a lot and knew that Groot cared about the little beast, she restrained herself. My God, was there _anything _she wouldn't do for the damn tree? That too was becoming annoying, but how could anyone resist that adorable face of his? Of course, he had just fucking scared the living shit out of her minutes ago. Then again, he was also now providing her his strength and support, so what could she really say? He was definitely compensating for the reckless stunt he had just pulled.

"I'll take you to it," she inhaled and let go of Groot to test her stability. "I think I'm good now. Thanks, Groot."

He gave her a nod, smiling sympathetically.

"You still have Zera?" she asked.

"I am Groot." he affirmed, turning his back to her so that she could see the proof.

Carlin's mouth twitched into a small smile. She could have handled the Kree alone, she knew she could, she'd done so with tons of other bigger goons before, but she could not deny it was awesome to have someone there to help her out. Sure, the profit for herself would be significantly less than previous, but she found that it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. If anything, she found it was kind of nice to work with others. Being constantly alone and having no genuine friends was starting to wear on her, though she had not taken much notice to this feeling until recently, since she had met these two dorks.

"Can we please _go _now?!" Rocket's voice shattered her enlightening string of thoughts.

She threw him a sizzling look, but did not make any derogatory remarks towards him. She held her tongue and spoke in what she hoped was a pleasant fashion to the infernal raccoon.

"Follow me."

* * *

The place where she had landed and kept The Oreo was an old, cramped hangar on the less fortunate side of the city, run by a middle-aged Xandarian man with scaly, brown skin, long, dark red hair and beady, yellow eyes. As Carlin approached his office with Groot and Rocket in tow, the man laid down the adult magazine he was ogling to stare at them instead.

"Hey!" Carlin greeted him tiredly with a brief wave. "Just picking up the ride."

The man grunted and with a last lingering look at the other two, he went back to his ogling. Carlin rolled her eyes and beckoned the boys along to continue following her. She strode down the long, wide aisle counting the numbered rows, in search of twelve, where it was parked. She found it and grinned happily at her beloved ship.

"Well, here it is, The Oreo, my old, loyal girl."

Rocket eyed the black and white vessel with a thoughtful expression and she knew he was trying to find something bad or negative to say about it, but it was not easy. Imagining this caused her to laugh out loud, making Rocket and Groot gawk at her.

"What the hell is so funny?" Rocket questioned grumpily.

Carlin shook her head, waving it off.

"Nothing. Let's just get on and get off of this dumbass planet."

While the two boarded the craft in front of her, Carlin lingered behind a few steps, instinctively reaching for her communicator inside her vest. She was horrified to find it was not there.

"What the-?" she patted her outfit down in a frantic, hoping to feel its hard, rectangular shape underneath the material somewhere, but to no avail. "No! Fuck! I must've left it at the hotel! _Shit! _Now how am I going to let Darnek know?"

"Hey, Carly, what's the hold up?!" came Rocket's loud inquiry from within The Oreo.

Carlin ignored him, trying to think of a possible solution to this unanticipated problem. Perhaps it wouldn't matter? She had time still and as long as she got the Kree there before then, there should be no issue with Darnek, right? Granted he loved being updated in a punctual fashion over the communicator...

"Well, he'll just have to deal with it this time around," Carlin told herself, boarding the ship as well. "As long as he gets his guy, what's it matter what I tell him and when? It's not like it's a matter of life and death."


	10. Hiccup

A/N: Hello everyone! Not much to say about this chapter. We are nearing the end of this tale though, so yea! Or, uh, booo, depending on how you view that information. I had actually planned on being done by the time I reached this chapter, but I was obviously wrong. Aren't you guys lucky? Anywho-loo-loo, I want to say thank you to all my new favers and followers! And a special thank you to those who reviewed! You guys/gals are spectacular! I love you all! I appreciate each and every single one of you for taking the time to read this thing. It makes the effort all the better!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

* * *

"So, you're Terran. How long have you been exploring the galaxy?"

They had long since disembarked from Xandar and were currently speeding through open fields of space, with Carlin at the helm, Rocket in the passenger seat and Groot hovering behind them, observing silently and thoughtfully. Carlin had him put Zera away in one of the two holding cells that sat at the stern of The Oreo the moment she had boarded, and when the Kree began to holler vicious threats the Terran woman stunned him with her gun. So far she'd had a decent trip, apart from Rocket making offhand comments about her ship being outdated and drilling her with nonstop questions of all sorts, which was both aggravating, because she hated being questioned, and encouraging, because it showed that he was _at last _taking an interest in her as someone more than just a pair of ovaries walking about. That she was a person with a life of her own. An individual.

"Oh, I'd say about... Eight years now? Yeah, that sounds about right," Carlin chuckled softly to herself. "Sorry, between traveling at light speed through the stars and chasing fugitives around almost constantly, you lose track of time, ya know?"

Rocket gave a nod, his eyes taking in the vast blankness that engulfed their vision beyond the glass shield of the ship, his black, button-nose twitching.

"Yeah, I know. Me and Groot do a lot of traveling too, don't we, Buddy?"

"I am Groot." Groot promptly concurred.

Carlin grinned. "Spill the beans, Groot: are you guys bounty hunters?"

"I am Groot." Groot answered with a positive tone, nodding for reinforcement.

"Ha! I knew it!" Carlin exclaimed victoriously, slapping the arm of her chair. "Takes one to know one!

"Can't imagine it was that hard to figure out anyway." Rocket remarked snidely.

"A scruffy, talking raccoon with a machine gun and a big tree guy? No, it sure wasn't. I mean, what other jobs are available to people like you two?"

Rocket sighed, sliding down in his seat a little, resting his paws on his stomach.

"Not a whole lot, I can tell you."

Carlin stole a sideways glance at the small-statured oddity that sat next to her, suddenly becoming aware of just how unusual he and Groot really were. The galaxy, she had come to realize in her adventures, was chock-full of weirdos and outlandish beings, but what set these two apart from all the others is that they were everyday common creatures found on Earth. In all of her travels, Carlin had never seen, nor expected to, a talking raccoon and a walking tree. It was like those Narnia books come true or something. They were certainly special. She wanted to know them. She wanted to know their story. Life as Rocket and Groot could not have been easy _or_ boring.

However, she reminded herself it was senseless to get too buddy-buddy with people that you most likely will never see again. Carlin knew that once Rocket received his compensation he would disappear and Groot would tag right along with him, because he was hopelessly devoted to the little shithead. She wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, they would decide to stick around. Carlin hated to admit it, but she had grown to like Rocket and Groot quite a bit. Of course, it was not difficult to like Groot, in her opinion. Rocket on the other hand... Well, he's an asshole, ain't no doubt, but Carlin knew that on the inside he was a good guy. She had seen hints of this already. He was, like herself, just a tough nut to crack.

"Have you guys ever hunted big game like this before?" Carlin inquired after a couple of moments of silence between the three of them.

"Nah, just minor stuff, like rare minerals, drugs, booze and weaponry."

Carlin lifted an eyebrow. "Not all of that is minor."

"Well, we ain't ever got to search for a criminal like your guy back there." Rocket gestured with his thumb over his shoulder.

"I've bagged other small-time law-breakers and terrorists, but Zera has been my biggest case yet," Carlin told them as she checked the map on the glowing control panel. "And all I want to do is get him back to Darnek's prison so we can get that reward."

"You say the word 'we' in a disturbingly comfortable fashion, Humie..." Rocket observed with suspicion, narrowing his gaze on her.

Carlin swallowed, forcing a haughty snort from herself that ended up sounding much more like she'd gagged.

"Oh, please, don't flatter yourself, Rocky. I'm just playing nice girl right now. Once Zera is in my boss' hands and I got my share of the profit, you can say goodbye to Miss Carlin Hardy. I'm a lone wolf. I don't need a 'we' in my life, unlike _you_. I can get by just fine on my own. Been doing it for years now."

"You sound like you're trying hard to convince yourself of that. Care to share what's _really _on your mind, _Carly?" _

Carlin's cheeks started to grow hot, but before she could utter a proper response, there came a shrill beeping from the control panel, making all three of them look at it sharply.

"What the hell does that mean?" Rocket questioned.

Carlin eyed the panel and her heart dropped into her stomach when she discovered it to be coming from the security system monitor of The Oreo. Her mind at once became bogged with the overwhelming consternation that came with this unforeseen trouble. She punched a few buttons, then glanced at the radar map, letting out a very loud gasp that made Groot and Rocket jump.

"What the fuck's going on?!" the raccoon practically shrieked at her, his pearly-white canines bared.

"Someone's caught us. They're overriding my security system!" Carlin said this all very fast, her fingers flying over the control panel, punching this and turning that, nibbling at her lip, her brow furrowed with concentration.

"Are you fucking _serious_ right now?! Who the hell would be out in the middle of dead space and coming after your ass?!"

"I don't know, but it better not be the Nova Corps." Carlin said, bouncing to her feet. "'Scuse me, Groot."

The sentient tree moved out of her way, watching and blinking at her with attentive brown eyes as she hustled over to the second control console that was built into the wall, which was also belting out a high-pitched series of beeps. Rocket huffed to himself and leapt over into the vacant pilot seat, going to work at the main control panel that the woman had just abandoned.

"Holy crap, this thing _is_ ancient!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You don't even have a damn _tracer! _How the hell do you get from point A to point B in this hunk of junk?!"

"Hey! Don't talk about my girl like that!" snapped Carlin from across the compartment, trying to get the system back in order with little to no luck. "She's got me from Sarlar to Vennik in one hyper launch plenty of-_arrgghh!"_

Carlin and Groot were both knocked clean off their feet when The Oreo gave a sudden violent lurch backwards.

"Whoa!" Rocket flopped forward onto the control panel.

It was then that the power on the ship faltered a few times, accompanied by the emergency alarms sounding throughout. Carlin groaned and swore hotly, sitting herself up on the floor. Groot did the same, looking around in a bewildered manner.

Rocket glanced back at them from the helm, his ears perked.

"Looks like they got us, Humie."

Carlin stood and marched over to him, scanning the power level monitor that spanned half the control panel. It was completely dark. Everything was. Everything except the emergency lighting and the stupid alarm. She let out a ragged sigh, collapsing in the passenger seat beside him. Anxiety gripped her harder as she thought about who could possibly be holding them captive. If it was indeed the Nova Corps, she was absolutely screwed. Then again, if it was anybody she'd met in the past she would be screwed. Carlin had made a decent number of adversaries while working, mostly in the form of scorned lovers. It would not have surprised her if one had her ship captured right at this very second, a scheme set to abolish her once and for all.

To answer the burning question on her mind, the communicator module suddenly came to life on the panel, a melodic male voice emanating from it.

_"Carlin Hardy, still flying the classic Oreo I see."_

That voice. Carlin's hairs on the back of her neck stood up, goosebumps erupting over her skin. She knew that voice. It was a voice that she had hoped to never hear again. That crooning, smooth, sexy purr that always drove her wild now made her grind her teeth. Of all the people in the universe, did it have to be him? The Nova Corps would have been more welcome. Rocket turned to gawk at Carlin, patently confused, his mouth gaping slightly. Groot was making a soft noise from behind them, like a stifled little growl deep in his throat.

Carlin inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, fighting back the urge to scream at the man across the channel. Exhaling slow and controlled, she made her cold reply to the opposing ship through the communicator link.

Why did she always have to be right?


	11. When Humies Attack

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! I wanted to add more to this chapter, but I'm tired and I wanted to give you guys a special Christmas treat-although, it's actually not Christmas day anymore, but whatever... Just enjoy! Oh, also thank you to all my new followers, favers and reviewers! You are all outstanding!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

* * *

Nothing could have prepared Carlin for any of this. She had been so happy at the start, knowing she was on the path to her prize, with the Kree all snug in his confinement. Not even a full two hours into the flight and she'd been tracked down and caught by a man that was no friend to her. Well, not anymore at least. His name was Keri Kamari, a renown bounty hunter and former lover of hers. He was a tall, pale man, with platinum blond hair that reached to his shoulders in silken spirals, a well-defined cleft chin, glimmering emerald eyes and a rather dainty nose. He looked Terran, with the exception of his pointed ears, large canines, slit-like pupils and a pattern of faint stripes covering his body. Carlin and Keri had not simply shared a one-night-stand with each other, but rather four solid years. Four solid years that had ended abruptly. Badly. They had vowed to stay away from each other after the messy split. Carlin had no problem with it either. She would have been fine with never having to see the beautiful man ever again.

Then life decides to fuck shit up.

"This is just _fucking _great!"

The Terran woman sat staring out of the view shield in the pilot seat of The Oreo, her hands tightly gripping the chair's arm rests, legs crossed and propped up on the control console, her face a blank slate, though underneath the seemingly emotionless facade she was fuming. Behind her Rocket was pacing and complaining loudly. He was livid right now, unable to comprehend how they could have possibly been apprehended so easily by Keri. Carlin could explain their entire history to the raccoon, but it would not have mattered. Rather she knew the guy or not, he was only concerned with retrieving his payment, and if Keri threatened this in any way, shape or form it was enough to throw the fluffy man into a hissy fit.

"This fucking ship is a piece of fucking _shit! _No fucking tracers! _No fucking TRACERS!" _he bellowed.

Groot, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to Carlin, winced at his friend's outburst, closing his big, brown eyes. Carlin ground her teeth.

"Now what're we gonna do?! Huh?!" Rocket questioned, throwing his arms into the air with exasperation. "The asshole wants our booty! I _need _that fucking reward!"

"I am Groot." Groot piped softly, almost sounding timid.

Rocket immediately corrected himself. "_We _need that fucking reward!"

"Yeah, so do I, Moron! Don't forget whose it was originally!" said Carlin, fed up with the raccoon's yelling.

"You don't seem to be too upset by any of this shit!" remarked Rocket hotly.

Carlin stood abruptly from her seat, causing Groot to start a little, and walked around it to face Rocket, her nostrils flaring with her rising anger.

"You think I'm fucking happy about this?" said she through gritted teeth, trying hard not to explode.

"I don't know, but after finding out you've slept with the guy before I would not be shocked if you went ahead and let him take the Kree!" said Rocket bitingly.

"Why in the _hell _would I do _that?!" _Carlin cried, greatly offended.

"Because you females are always damn weak when it comes to your boyfriends!" returned Rocket, jamming a clawed finger at her, his sharp teeth showing.

That had done it. With a primal cry, Carlin swiped violently at Rocket with her hand, just missing him by inches when he jumped back from her. Groot was stunned by the female's actions and hurriedly got to his feet, meaning to put a stop to this before one of them hurt the other.

"What the fuck?!" said Rocket, panting and blinking up at Carlin with utter bafflement. "What the hell's the matter with _you?!"_

Carlin did not answer, but instead went to strike him again, only this time she was hampered by Groot, who locked each of her wrists in his strong, curling tendrils, like makeshift shackles. Carlin strained against him, her lips curled and teeth bared, glaring daggers of hate down at Rocket.

"LET ME GO, GROOT!" she screamed madly, unshed tears making her blue eyes glisten. "I AM SO _SICK _OF THIS LITTLE ASSHOLE'S _SHIT!"_

Groot only fastened tighter, giving a gentle rumble.

"I am _Groot."_

"He's right, calm your crazy ass down!" said Rocket with a nod.

"_SHUT UP!"_ screeched Carlin.

"If you don't fucking stop making that God-awful noise, I'm gonna grab that stun gun of yours and knock you out a while!" threatened Rocket, his hackles raised.

"You touch my gun, you fucking little cretin, and I'll skin you, eat you and use your hide for a stylish _hat!"_

The raccoon gaped at her, his dark, watery eyes blinking rapidly, arms falling limp to his sides. Groot moaned, shaking his head wearily. He really wished they would just stop and make up. All this fighting was starting to grate on his nerves, which was saying a lot for the tree man, who always had a considerable amount of patience for others.

"Is this _really _how it's gonna go down, Humie?" Rocket wondered in a menacing growl, his ears folding back. "You and me, duking it out?"

The Terran stared at him, breathing hard through her open mouth.

"Huh, and here I thought you wanted to be _friends. _Pfft! Buncha bullshit..." said Rocket, flipping his paw at her with dismissal, shaking his head.

Carlin's glowering gaze stayed glued to the spot where Rocket was even after he had walked off and down a passage that led to another compartment of The Oreo, her mind playing out the scene that had just occurred between them over and over. Gradually she became less tense in Groot's grip as she came to terms with just how immature she had been, her cheeks warm and tears spilling down them. She wanted to go crawl into the engine space and remain there for the rest of eternity. Why had she acted so stupidly? Was what Rocket said bad enough to elicit such a strong reaction? Obviously she still had some serious inner turmoil regarding Keri and her self-confidence to work out.

"Oh, Groot," she slumped in his grasp, sniffling and blinking away tears. "I feel like such a bitch right now."

Groot felt sorry for her; she sounded so sad and weak. He let her go, but immediately wrapped her in a gentle embrace.

"I am Groot." he crooned to her.

Carlin was not half as surprised as she'd been when he had first hugged her back in the parking structure on the outskirts of the city on Xandar, but it still felt weirdly foreign to her. He was not soft and yielding like a regular man, but he was still somewhat warm to the touch and much of his rough, bark-like skin was covered in a thick, velvety moss which smelt fresh and delightful, like the Northern woods in springtime on Terra. Strange as it was for her, Carlin could not deny that she could possibly get used to Groot-hugs.

When he had pulled away from her, leaving the woman feeling small and vulnerable, Groot gave her a comforting smile, his brown eyes twinkling. He patted her head and put out his massive right hand, palm facing upwards to her, and just as he'd done when they had first met, he sprouted a pretty, delicate flower from the middle of it. The only difference was the flower being a solid pale pink color this time around. Carlin gazed at it tenderly, sniffing and and smiling through the tears streaming down her face.

"Groot," she tentatively plucked the tiny flower from his hand and held it to her heart. "Why do you have to be so sweet?"

"I _am _Groot." said he, giving a nonchalant shrug of his broad shoulders.

"Yeah, okay." Carlin laughed, wiping her face dry with the sleeve of her tunic.

"Managed to tame the beast, have you Groot?" said Rocket, entering the cockpit again, his arms crossed over his chest. "Knew ya would."

Carlin hid the flower behind her back, though she did not really know why, and looked down at the raccoon with patent remorse.

"Please forgive me, Rocket, I don't know what came over me..."

"Eh, whatever. I'm over it. What I'm really concerned with right now is what we're gonna do about Keri Kamashi."

"Keri _Kamari."_ corrected Carlin with a smirk.

"Whatever! What are we going to do about this bastard anyhow?!" Rocket demanded with a stomp of his foot, his paws balled into fists.

"I don't know, but when we get to the outpost for his fuel fill-up, I'm gonna have a chat with him." Carlin promised in a dark tone, heading back to the helm of the ship.

* * *

Carlin was snoring noisily, fast asleep in the pilot chair of The Oreo, with Rocket sitting in the passenger seat once more beside her, cleaning his trusty machine blaster in his lap, humming absentmindedly as he did so. Groot had also dozed off, having anchored himself to the far wall of the cockpit with his vines. It had been a full three hours of them doing exactly this when the transcommunicator on the control panel came to life with a shrieking static sound, causing Rocket to yelp and nearly drop his gun.

"Whaza?!" Carlin bolted upright from her deep slumber, blinking groggily.

_"We're going to take a short stop on Marlo to refuel. If you need to take a potty break, now would be the time." _blared Keri's drawl from the speaker of the communicator.

Carlin rubbed her eyes and turned to look at her furry co-pilot.

Rocket had a sinister look on his masked face. He hopped down from the chair, hoisting the machine blaster over his tiny shoulder as he said-

"Time to show this dick who's really in charge."


	12. Keri Kamari

A/N: Let me start by saying I am truly sorry. _Truly. _I ditched this story for far too long. You all are such a wonderful bunch of readers! I can hardly believe all of the attention this thing has garnered. It's amazing! I have not had the chance to answer reviews, though I completely love and appreciate every single one of them. So I will thank you all right here! Thank you! Hopefully this chapter makes up for the long wait I've put you all through.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. I'm just a nerdy fangirl who likes talking raccoons and dancing trees.

* * *

The landing on Marlo was a bit bumpy due to strong turbulence and mass of criss-crossed radio frequencies that streamed through the air from the multitude of incoming and outgoing ships. At the present it was rush hour and all sorts of vessels of varying sizes and shapes whizzed around them as they made their way to the ground below. Marlo was a small planetoid, composed of overcrowded cities in which many young people lived, because it was cheap and offered work that did not require extensive education or previous experience. Even though it had a president of sorts who governed over most of it, he did little and left much of the decision-making to the citizens, so there was a distinct sense of anarchy in the atmosphere. Perfect for people with such professions as Carlin to visit or stay as long as she wanted if need be without getting questioned or caught.

Carlin waited until they had passed the toll booth of the main fuel station and hangar before she got to her feet. Rocket was already starting down the ladder that led to the mouth of The Oreo below, his gun on his back.

"Listen, Rocket, leave the talking to me," the Terran told him, descending the ladder as well. "The last thing we need is for you to piss him off. I know him well enough and can hopefully reason with him, if his intentions are indeed to swipe the Kree from us."

"There is no _'hopefully', _Humie. You either fucking tell him to back off or Groot and I will be forced to deal with him. I don't need your stupid permission either."

Once they had all climbed down into the haul and The Oreo was on the ground, Carlin punched the key to open the hatch and they marched with purpose down the ramp. As they rounded the parked Oreo, they finally met their captor face-to-face. Carlin halted dead when her eyes found his, and funnily enough so did he. They stared at each other for a few moments, studying the once cherished features of their love and taking in the changes that had occurred over the time that they spent apart. Carlin hated herself for finding him just as attractive as he'd been when last she saw him, perhaps even more so. His white-blond mane of bouncing, silky curls was now trimmed close to his scalp. He also sported a larger array of jewelry, including some new piercings in his pointy ears. And was it just her or had he put on some extra muscle over the course of the last year?

She was yanked from her temporary daze when he spoke, his voice smooth, rich and tinted with just a faint accent.

"Carly, you look wonderful," his emerald orbs darted from her face to both Rocket and Groot. "I see you have picked up some exotic pets."

An angry hiss sounded from Rocket, but Carlin quickly retorted.

"They're not my pets. They're my... friends. And you look more over-the-top than ever. What's with all the necklaces and bangles? And is that _eyeliner?" _

"Yes, do you have a problem with it?" Keri smirked, batting his long eyelashes at her.

Carlin rolled her eyes and shook her head, crossing her arms, deciding to jump right to the point.

"So, any reason you decided to drag me here? I'm not getting back together with you, you know. I mean, if that's the case-"

A string of cold laughter erupted from Keri, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"My dear Carly, though you remain as pretty as ever, I would never _dream _of getting back together with you. No, I'm here to take a certain Kree off your hands."

"Well, you are sadly mistaken if you think that you're just gonna waltz onto my ship and steal my booty. Who the _hell _do you think you are? I was sent on this mission to retrieve this convict and I have done so. You have _no_ fucking right to fucking-"

"Hey, I'm not here to cause any trouble. I'm just following orders, okay?" said Keri, putting up his hands.

"Orders?" echoed Carlin, her tone tinged with unease. "Yeah, well, I have orders also, and they are to return the Kree to Darnek and get my units."

"Funny, mine are oddly similar." said Keri.

Carlin glowered at her former lover, her breaths becoming faster as anger built inside of her. "I should have known... That stupid bastard. Cutting me short of the full week I was given to get the job done! He just _couldn't _wait!"

Keri tilted his head, frowning sadly at her. "I know, it's really just so unfair. But, when you're not prompt and professional, don't expect big-time employers like Darnek to have pity or patience. The Kree is pricey. You, dear sweet Carly, are sloppy. Always have been, always will be. I must say, I can scarcely believe you've made it this far without me!"

"Really? Fuck you, Kamari. You realize that I lived just fine on my own before you ever came along?" snapped back Carlin.

"Hmm, yes, but just getting by. I showed you the ways of the trade. I got you on your feet. Do I not deserve credit?" said Keri, lifting a shapely eyebrow.

"Credit my ass!" ripped Carlin angrily at him, taking a step forward. "You may have known people, but you could never negotiate for shit! I did all the real work. Just like now! I caught this Kree, and here you are fucking stealing him from me like the rotten thief that you are! Well, I won't have it! Not this time! You _will_ not fuck this up for me, Keri."

Keri stood staring unblinking at her for a moment, his uncaring eyes assessing her. He set his hands upon his hips and spoke again, this time his voice was level and cool, not at all yielding any sort of teasing sensuality.

"So, how shall this go down? I have you here, against your will, and you are fired from the very employer who hired me not four hours ago. Tell me, my dear Carlin, what is your plan? What will you do? Because, in my eyes, I see no alternative to this situation."

"The hell there isn't!" snarled Rocket in response. "You don't want to listen to the lady and back off? Fine! You had your chance, Prettyboy! _Groot!"_

At once the hulking tree man stomped forward past Rocket and Carlin with frightful speed and purpose, his eyes narrowed and shoulders bristling with sharp little branches and thorns. Keri's smug face suddenly fell slack. Before he had the slightest chance of reacting, Groot had him dangling in his merciless grasp. The wooden giant brought Keri back over to Carlin, where he held him there in front of her, one powerful hand encircling the neck of the feline-like man.

Carlin, now just a foot away from her ex, met his green slit eyes with unforgiving blue ones. His were nearly popping out of their sockets, a primal desperation burning in them as he gagged and clawed at Groot's hand for a need of air to his lungs.

"Do you see an alternative now, dearest Keri?" purred Carlin evilly, tracing a finger along his perfectly sculpted jawline.

Keri gasped, his lips turning blue. He reached his hands out for Carlin, who growled and viciously slapped them away.

"Put him down, Groot. Please." she said, crossing her arms.

Groot obeyed, and literally dropped Keri, who collapsed to the ground with a _thwump! _The alien man lay there, his limbs splayed out, heaving breaths of air like some sort of fish out of water. Carlin kicked him hard in the leg, whilst Rocket aimed his trusty machine blaster right at his face.

"Get up, Asshole!" barked the raccoon.

Keri looked up the huge barrel of the gun, almost cross-eyed, then began gasping and making frantic noises. He hurried and scrambled to his feet, finding it hard to balance for a few seconds. Still breathing raggedly, he brushed himself down and ran his fingers back through his blond tresses in an attempt to regain some of his former dignity, though it did about as much good as it would have if he had just remained on the ground snivelling.

He cleared his throat, pointedly ignoring Rocket and his dangerous weapon glaring at him, and addressed Carlin in a slighty hoarse voice.

"Friends indeed... I must say, it was certainly wise and beneficial on your part to hire bodyguards."

Carlin scowled at him. "Enough, Keri. You have exactly one option here: to leave the Kree on my ship. You will not touch him. You will walk away now and never come around me again. Do you understand?"

Keri looked at her in utter disbelief, although he was kept quiet by Rocket's cocked blaster and Groot's ominous presence towering behind him. Pinning his lips, Keri inclined his head at Carlin, clearly struggling with this unusual act of compliance.

"I... understand..."

"Good. Now, go." said Carlin stonily, pointing towards his ship.

Keri blinked at her, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. When he did not move, Rocket nudged him roughly with his blaster, flashing his canines.

"You heard her? _Get lost!"_

The cat-like man shot a loathing stare at the demanding furry creature before finally turning to head back to his vessel with his tail between his legs, so to speak. Groot did not let him go without a final goodbye as well, in which he made a threatening sound at Keri, who gave a shrill cry of fright and bolted. Carlin and Rocket both laughed, and Groot snorted after the man, as if to say "good riddance".

"Well, I think we took care of that pretty well. Nice job, boys." said Carlin.

Rocket lowered his weapon and looked up at the woman with wide eyes. "I can't believe you ever were associated with such a prissy prick."

Carlin sighed, watching as Keri unlatched his ship from hers. "Yeah, me neither..."

"Well, whatever. He's gone now and we got our Kree. That's all that matters. Come on, I'd like to leave all of this drama as far behind me as I can!" said Rocket, hoisting his gun onto his shoulder and starting towards the Oreo.

Carlin continued to watch Keri's ship ascend in the sky far above and fly away until it was out of sight in moments, an unpleasant feeling lingering in her stomach. She jumped a bit when Groot set his hand on her shoulder. She glanced upward at him.

"I am Groot." said he with warm eyes and a kind smile.

Carlin had barely begun to smile herself when suddenly there was a flash of light accompanied by a ear-shattering blast that sent her and Groot flying through the air. Carlin was screaming, the haughty face of Keri Kamari appearing in her mind just a split second before everything in her world went to black.


	13. Sweet Dreams

A/N: I hope that this does not come as a surprise or pisses anyone off, but... *drumroll* ... this story has come to a close. Yes! I am ending it here, folks! We're at chapter thirteen (a nice number to end on!) and that is a few chapters past what I had originally intended, so consider yourselves lucky! It's had a good run and I believe it is ending on a good, clean note.

For those of you wondering if I will carry this storyline into the movie, yes, I am. I don't know when I will actually get it up, but keep an eye out!

I just wanted to **thank you all once again from the absolute bottom of my heart** for all of your support! It really encouraged me to keep going with it and now look where we are? Finished!

Anyway, on with the conclusion of **Insane Minds Think Alike**!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. I only own Carlin and she's a handful!

* * *

"Oh, my head..."

Rocket had his paws placed on either side of his furry noggin, bowed low over the top of the table that he was seated at, moaning miserably. It was enough that he'd already downed four hard drinks, then add to that the insane environment he was in momentarily. The place he was drinking in was not exactly a bar, but rather a sort of club. It was the type of place that would have been banned on most planets, including Xandar, but here, on Marlo, it was a regular night-out to go get hammered, high, or laid in one of these joints. The locals affectionately called them 'rage parlours'. This particular rage parlour that the raccoon was sitting in was one of the more popular ones in the downtown district. It never shut down, day or night. People were always pouring in. The lights flashed spastically a round of bright colors as music pounded the walls and ceiling, and people were laughing, screaming, jumping and dancing around like maniacs.

"God, please hurry up." groaned Rocket, rubbing at his dark eyes.

Through the wild crowd he could see a tall figure making its way towards his table. It was Groot, and he was holding two large glasses filled with what could only be more alcohol in his hands. As he lumbered along, he was wary of the smaller beings bouncing around him, trying his best not to knock into anyone or spill the drinks.

"Where the hell is she?" questioned Rocket sharply when Groot had finally reached the table.

Groot sighed, nodding his head over his shoulder. "I am Groot."

"Are you fucking serious?" Rocket yelled over the din, slamming his paws atop the table. "She's been here for over fucking fourteen _hours_!"

"I am _Groot." _was the tree giant's wearied reply.

He dropped into the seat opposite Rocket, slid one of the drinks over to the raccoon, then drained his own in two massive gulps.

"Groot, can't you just go break that dick's neck? One snap and he's outta the picture. No more of our humie slaving away for his scabby, cheap ass. Nobody would even notice-"

Groot spoke over him abruptly. "I _am _Groot."

Rocket rolled his eyes and leaned back. "Cripes, man, you are way too friggin' virtuous for your own good!"

Groot shook his head. "I am Groot."

"So freaking what?! At least she wouldn't have to deal with his shit anymore! You and I both know she's too good for a job like this, Groot." said Rocket.

"I am Groot." returned Groot dispiritedly, spinning his empty glass in circles with one of his vines.

Rocket took a slug of his drink, set it down, and licked his chops.

"I tell ya, we can't get off of this dumbass rock soon enough, Pal." said he in a uncharacteristically somber voice.

The two sat there without speaking for some time, waiting patiently for their friend to show up. Rocket eventually finished his fifth order, and by that point he was barely able to keep his eyes open, slurring nonsense to himself, swaying in his seat. Groot had only drank the one glass, so he was very much sober. He busied himself with watching the other patrons of the rage parlour, for they provided endless entertainment. One couple in particular caught the behemoth's attention among the sea of the severely intoxicated. They were of two different alien species that neither of which Groot recognized, and both were indulged in each other. It was strange the way they touched and moved against the other, tangled up and in another world entirely-

"Hey, Big Guy."

Groot started a bit, blinking and grinning when he saw Carlin was there. She was dressed in a dark purple jacket and black pants that fit in a snug fashion, with her usual working boots pulled over them. Her blond hair was tied back in a lazy ponytail, where it left random strands to fall about her face. Over her right arm she carried her job uniform.

"I am Groot?" inquired Groot, brushing one of the stray locks out of her eye and tucking it behind her ear.

"I'm fine, just really beat, Bud," said Carlin through a yawn, her eyes falling onto the snoring lump that was Rocket. "Christ, how many did he have?"

Groot showed her five of his branch-like fingers.

Carlin sighed exhaustedly, switching her clothes to her other arm. "Well, get him and we'll go. I'm about ready to pass out."

The three of them were out on the street a minute later, the pulsating music of the parlour growing dull and fading behind them as they walked away. Outside it was a little less crowded, though there was a fair share of weirdos prowling around now, for it was past midnight. Groot had set Rocket inside a hollow formed in his abdomen, so that he had free range of his arms to protect Carlin with if need be. Honestly though, no one was ever crazy enough to approach a chick that had a twelve foot tall tree man at her side.

They did not go very far, for their home was in a shabby little apartment complex a block away. It was here that they had resided for roughly a year now on Marlo. It was good fortune that Carlin knew the area pretty well beforehand, and had lived here once a long time ago.

Up Carlin led them six flights of stairs to their penthouse at the top of the building, her legs shaking beneath her. At the last step she tripped and was caught in time by Groot.

"Thanks, Hon." said Carlin breathlessly, patting his arm.

Groot did not reply, but rather swiped her up off of her feet with utter ease. Carlin did not object, and allowed him to carry her the rest of the way to their place, her eyelids drooping low. When they came upon the door, there was no lock, so Groot simply pushed right into the apartment, shutting the door behind him with one of his many tendrils. The penthouse was in reality just three rooms: bedroom, kitchen/dining room, and bathroom. The three all shared the one bedroom. Groot toted his friends across the kitchen, taking them to the bedroom, where he lay each of them in their appropriate beds. Rocket had a comfy lounge chair that he curled up in, while Carlin slept upon a rickety old twin-sized bed. Groot found rest up against the wall nearby. He first put Carlin down carefully, then plucked out Rocket from his hollow and set him on the chair, where he went on snoring soundly. Groot shook his head at the raccoon, smiling affectionately.

"I am Groot." he whispered, covering Rocket in a ragged sheet.

He met with Carlin next, who was just barely awake still, and knelt beside her bed. The human's bright blue eyes opened slightly for a brief moment, connecting with the big brown ones of her great companion, the corners of her mouth twitching upward into a faint smile.

"Get some rest, Cutie," she breathed, laying her hand over his. "The big day is coming soon... We'll be free again to go wherever we please."

Groot gave a nod, placing his other hand over hers, so that it was sandwiched between both of them. He leaned forward and kissed Carlin's forehead, earning a feeble giggle from the Terran. Within a matter of seconds she was sleeping deeply, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with each peaceful breath she took. Groot remained in the position next to her for a lengthy period, before he too became drowsy. With care he removed his hands so that hers was lying on the bed instead, and stood to his full height, gazing down at her lovingly before pivoting and situating himself on the far wall close to the bedroom's door.

The gentle giant kept watch over his friends for as long as he could keep his eyes open, his mind wandering from one thought to another, until he came to the memory of the day that they had been stranded here on Marlo. It was hard to believe that a year had passed since then. And what a year it had been for them. Often Carlin would cry and pine for what she had lost and cursed herself for being so stupid as to go up against the devious Keri Kamari. He had never had any real intention of letting them off so easily with such a huge prize as that Kree had been. He'd gone as far as to blow up The Oreo with the Kree inside, leaving all three of them broke and shipless on Marlo. Needless to say, Carlin and Rocket had been beyond beside themselves that fateful day.

Groot, however, was not so disheartened by the event. Secretly he thanked Keri for being so bitter towards Carlin. That's not to say he appreciated it, in fact he disliked Keri very much for the way he treated Carlin; but, if it had not been that he obliterated The Oreo, the three of them would never have stayed together. Groot could not imagine going the rest of his life without Carlin there with him as his friend. She was something special that he just could not let go of ever. Just like Rocket. He loved them both more than anything in the entire galaxy and even now, when they were in the dumpiest of the dumps, he could not have been any more content.

It was okay though, because their days here were numbered. In the year that they had made Marlo their home, the trio had gotten jobs and had worked many long hours to collect money for the repairs of The Oreo, which was basically taking all of the blown up bits and putting them together again. Only one guy would do it and he charged a hefty price, but Carlin refused to have it any other way. The Oreo was her love and life, and she would gladly give everything she had to see it fixed up once more. Now, after what felt like years of hanging around on this grimy planet, The Oreo was on the brink of completion. Just a few more days at most and they would be back in business...

As his eyes began to feel heavy, Groot let himself relax and drift away into the realm of dreams, a little smile planted on his wooden face as he thought about their future and the many adventures that it promised...

The End


	14. Author's Note

Author's Note: Hey, guys/gals! How are you all doing? Good, I hope! Well, for anyone interested, I have just posted the sequel to this fic. It's called 'The Heartwarming Story of a Bunch of A-holes'. Go check it out! I think it's going to be a hit. ;)


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